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Objective To explore reasons for variations in anxiety in women testing positive for human papillomavirus (HPV) with normal cytology at routine HPV primary cervical cancer screening. Methods In‐depth interviews were conducted with 30 women who had tested HPV‐positive with normal cytology, including 15 with low‐to‐normal anxiety and 15 with high anxiety. Data were analysed using Framework Analysis to compare themes between low and high anxiety groups. Results Several HPV‐related themes were shared across anxiety groups, but only highly anxious women expressed fear and worry, fatalistic cognitions about cancer, fertility‐related cognitions, adverse physiological responses and changes in health behaviour(s). In comparison to those with low anxiety, women with high anxiety more strongly voiced cognitions about the 12‐month wait for follow‐up screening, relationship infidelity, a lower internal locus of control and HPV‐related symptom attributions. Conclusions Receiving an HPV‐positive with normal cytology result related to various emotional, cognitive, behavioural and physiological responses; some of which were specific to, or more pronounced in, women with high anxiety. If our observations are confirmed in hypothesis‐driven quantitative studies, the identification of distinct themes relevant to women experiencing high anxiety can inform targeted patient communications and HPV primary screening implementation policy., Highlights To our knowledge, this is the first qualitative study to explore anxiety in women testing human papillomavirus (HPV)‐positive with normal cytology at routine HPV primary screening.Our comparative qualitative design allowed thematic nuances to emerge between women who had experienced low versus high anxiety following their result.Only highly anxious women expressed fear and worry, fatalistic cognitions about cancer, fertility‐related cognitions, adverse physiological responses and changes in health behaviour(s).Highly anxious women also more strongly voiced cognitions about the 12‐month wait for follow‐up screen, reltionship infidelity, a lower internal locus of control and HPV‐related symptom attributions.These distinct themes can be used to minimise unnecessary anxiety through the development of evidence‐based patient communications at HPV primary screening.

Objective: Clinical options for managing nonmetastatic prostate cancer (PCa) vary. Each option has side effects associated with it, leading to difficulty in decision‐making. This study aimed to assess the relationship between patient involvement in treatment decision‐making and subsequent decision regret (DR), and quantify the impact of health‐related quality of life (HRQL) outcomes on DR. Methods: Men living in the United Kingdom, 18 to 42 months after diagnosis of PCa, were identified from cancer registration data and sent a questionnaire. Measures included the Decision Regret Scale (DRS), Expanded Prostate cancer Index Composite short form (EPIC‐26), EQ‐5D‐5L, and an item on involvement in treatment decision‐making. Multivariable ordinal regression was utilized, with DR categorized as none, mild, or moderate/severe regret. Results: A total of 17 193 men with stage I‐III PCa completed the DRS: 36.6% reported no regret, 43.3% mild regret, and 20.0% moderate/severe regret. The odds of reporting DR were greater if men indicated their views were not taken into account odds ratio ([OR] = 6.42, 95% CI: 5.39‐7.64) or were involved “to some extent” in decision‐making (OR = 4.63, 95% CI: 4.27‐5.02), compared with men who were “definitely” involved. After adjustment, including for involvement, men reporting moderate/big problems with urinary, bowel, or sexual function were more likely to experience regret compared with men with no/small problems. Better HRQL scores were associated with lower levels of DR. Conclusions: This large‐scale study demonstrates the benefit of patient involvement in treatment decision‐making for nonmetastatic PCa. However, men experiencing side effects and poorer HRQL report greater DR. Promoting engagement in clinical decision‐making represents good practice and may reduce the risk of subsequent regret.

ObjectiveIncreased knowledge of breast cancer risk factors enables a shift from one‐size‐fits‐all breast cancer screening to a risk‐based approach, tailoring screening policy to a woman's individual risk. New opportunities for prevention will arise. However, before this novel screening and prevention program is introduced, its acceptability from a woman's perspective needs to be explored.MethodsWomen eligible for breast cancer screening in the Netherlands, United Kingdom, and Sweden were invited to take part in focus groups. A total of 143 women participated. Data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using thematic analysis.ResultsAnalysis identified five themes across the three countries. The first theme “impact of knowledge” describes women's concern of not being able to unlearn their risk, perceiving it as either a motivator for change or a burden which may lead to stigma. The second theme “belief in science” explains women's need to trust the science behind the risk assessment and subsequent care pathways. Theme three “emotional impact” explores, eg, women's perceived anxiety and (false) reassurance, which may result from knowing their risk. Theme four “decision making” highlights cultural differences in shared versus individual decision making. Theme five “attitude to medication” explores the controversial topic of offering preventative medication for breast cancer risk reduction.ConclusionsAcceptability of risk‐based screening and prevention is mixed. Women's perceptions are informed by a lack of knowledge, cultural norms, and common emotional concerns, which highlights the importance of tailored educational materials and risk counselling to aid either shared or individual informed decision making.

Following the fast spread of the coronavirus (Covid-19) across Europe and North America in March 2020, many people started stockpiling commodities like toilet paper. Despite the high relevance for public authorities to adequately address stockpiling behavior, empirical studies on the psychological underpinnings of toilet paper stockpiling are still scarce. In this study, we investigated the relation between personality traits, perceived threat of Covid-19, and stockpiling of toilet paper in an online survey (N = 996) across 22 countries. Results suggest that people who felt more threatened by Covid-19 stockpiled more toilet paper. Further, a predisposition towards Emotionality predicted the perceived threat of Covid-19 and affected stockpiling behavior indirectly. Finally, Conscientiousness was related to toilet paper stockpiling, such that individuals higher in Conscientiousness tended to stockpile more toilet paper. These results emphasize the importance of clear communication by public authorities acknowledging anxiety and, at the same time, transmitting a sense of control.

In a non‐randomized controlled study, we investigated the efficacy of a school‐based mindfulness curriculum delivered by schoolteachers to older secondary school students (16–18 years). We measured changes in emotion processing indexed by P3b event‐related potential (ERP) modulations in an affective oddball task using static human faces. ERPs were recorded to happy and sad face oddballs presented in a stimulus stream of frequent faces with neutral expression, before and after 8 weeks of mindfulness training. Whilst the mean amplitude of the P3b, an ERP component typically elicited by infrequent oddballs, decreased between testing sessions in the control group, it remained unchanged in the training group. Significant increases in self‐reported well‐being and fewer doctor visits for mental health support were also reported in the training group as compared to controls. The observed habituation to emotional stimuli in controls thus contrasted with maintained sensitivity in mindfulness‐trained students. These results suggest that in‐school mindfulness training for adolescents has scope for increasing awareness of socially relevant emotional stimuli, irrespective of valence, and thus may decrease vulnerability to depression.

Theoretical models of child development typically consider the home environment as a product of bidirectional effects, with parent‐ and child‐driven processes operating interdependently. However, the developmental structure of these processes during the transition from childhood to adolescence has not been well studied. In this study we used longitudinal genetic analyses of data from 6646 UK‐representative twin pairs (aged 9–16 years) to investigate stability and change in parenting and household chaos in the context of parent–child bidirectional effects. Stability in the home environment was modest, arising mainly from parent‐driven processes and family‐wide influences. In contrast, change over time was more influenced by child‐driven processes, indicated by significant age‐specific genetic influences. Interpretations of these results and their implications for researchers are discussed.