Familial disease with a risk of sudden death: A longitudinal study of the psychological consequences of predictive testing for long QT syndrome

Background Since 1996, in the Netherlands, cardiac and molecular screening has been performed in families with the long QT syndrome, a potentially life-threatening but treatable cardiac arrhythmia syndrome. The psychological consequences of predictive cardiac and molecular screening in these families are relatively unknown. Objective A psychological study was initiated to investigate the extent and course of distress caused by this new form of...