Abstract
This study examined the relationships between illness perceptions, psychological distress and treatment-seeking delay in genital warts patients. Sixty-six genital warts patients were approached while attending a sexual health clinic. They completed a questionnaire assessing their illness perceptions, psychological distress and treatment-seeking delay. Negative perceptions of illness consequences and control and a perceived cyclical timeline were associated with increased psychological distress. Perceived illness consequences maintained significance in a multiple regression equation, which accounted for 25% variance in distress. Depression was associated with treatment-seeking delay (r=0.28, P=0.03). In conclusion, illness perceptions may play an important role in the experience of psychological distress in genital warts patients. The implications of these findings for the design of health-care interventions are discussed.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 667-670 |
Number of pages | 3 |
Journal | International Journal of STD & AIDS |
Volume | 16 |
Issue number | 10 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2005 |
Keywords
- illness perceptions
- distress
- treatment-seeking delay
- genital warts
- HPV
- HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS INFECTION
- SEXUALLY-TRANSMITTED DISEASES
- IMPACT
- DEPRESSION
- CLINICS