Predictors of depressive symptoms before and after diagnostic procedures in women with abnormal Pap smear attending cervical cancer screening programme in Serbia

Objectives Receipt of a positive Papanicolaou screening result and subsequent referral for diagnostic tests can cause psychological stress. Still, not enough is known about depression before and after the diagnostic test in these women. The aim of this study was to determine the burden and predictors of depressive symptoms prior to and after diagnostic investigations in women who had received a positive Papanicolaou screening result. Methods This was a cross‐sectional study. Study cohort comprised women who received an abnormal Papanicolaou screening result. Women completed the socio‐demographic questionnaire and ‘The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression, CES‐D’ questionnaire before and after diagnostic tests (colposcopy/biopsy/endocervical curettage) to assess factors related to depression. Results No significant difference was noted in the frequency of depressive symptoms (CES‐D score ≥ 16) before and after diagnostic investigations, but the mean score on CES‐D scale showed a significant difference before and after diagnostic investigations (13.98 ± 9.56 and 12.74 ± 9.15, respectively). A significant predictor of depression before diagnostic investigations was spontaneous abortion, whereas family history of other gynaecological cancers was a predictor of depression after diagnostic investigations. Conclusions Our findings could contribute to improving the rates of cervical cancer screening, by identifying women at risk for depression before and after investigations.