Trial reportPsycho-oncology2025
Symptom Attribution, Help Seeking and Willingness to Undergo Diagnostic Investigations for Bowel Cancer Symptoms in People With Anxiety and/or Depression-A Vignette Study.
Trial report in Psycho-oncology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
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The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Network analysis of factors associated with lung cancer screening behavior among high-risk rural adults in Fujian, China.Archives of public health = Archives belges de sante publique · 2026Article
- Cancer stage at diagnosis by duration of pre-existing chronic analgesic use and anxiety or depression.Nature communications · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundBowel cancer is a common cause of cancer deaths and survival increases dramatically with earlier diagnosis. People with mental health problems such as anxiety and/or depression (A/D) are less likely to engage in health behaviours important for early detection.
aimsWe explored whether three processes crucial for early cancer diagnosis are different in the A/D group compared to controls: (1) 'attributions' that is, assumed causes of bodily changes typical for bowel cancer, (2) help seeking actions participants would be likely to take and (3) willingness to do a relevant test (stool test or sigmoidoscopy/colonoscopy).
methodsIn this randomised online vignette study, 1883 participants were presented one of four scenarios that each featured one bodily change typical of bowel cancer. Attributions were indicated using a free text response option. Help seeking options were presented in a list and likelihood of engaging in them was explored. Willingness to take a test was assessed using a question with response options 'yes', 'no' and 'unsure'.
resultsParticipants with A/D were more likely to attribute symptoms to their mental health than to cancer. Male participants with A/D were less likely to engage in several help-seeking actions. Participants in the A/D group were less likely to be willing to undergo invasive diagnostic testing.
conclusionsPeople with A/D should be encouraged to take bodily changes typical of cancer seriously and be proactive in help seeking and taking tests. Clinicians need to be aware that people with A/D may misattribute bodily changes associated with cancer and support them to seek help and undergo testing.
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