Psychological distress surrounding diagnosis of malignant and nonmalignant skin lesions at a pigmented lesion clinic

Kenealy, J.; Harcourt, Diana; Al-Shakhli, H.

Abstract

This study aimed prospectively to investigate psychological distress throughout the diagnostic process in an outpatient pigmented lesion clinic (PLC). Psychological distress was measured at pre clinical diagnosis, post clinical diagnosis, pre histological diagnosis (including a benign follow-up) and post histological diagnosis stages using standard anxiety measurement scales and a study specific measure of satisfaction with care. In total 324 patients undergoing investigation of a suspicious skin lesion consented to take part out of a cohort of 463 patients who attended the PLC in a 6 month period. Using recognised cut-off scores, 27% of women on clinic arrival reported clinically high levels of anxiety, in comparison with 10% of men (p

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: May 1, 2006
• Journal: Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery
• Print ISSN: 1748-6815
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 59
• Issue: 5
• Pages: 479-486
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bjps.2005.01.010
• Keywords: pigmented lesion clinic, skin lesions, malignant melanoma, psychology, anxiety, quality of life, satisfaction with care
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/1042898
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bjps.2005.01.010