The Genetic Psychosocial Risk Instrument (GPRI): A Validation Study for European Portuguese

Abstract

Introduction: Screening instruments specifically developed to identify genetic testing applicants who may need professional psychosocial support are much needed. However, there are no screening instruments validated for the Portuguese language. This paper presents the translation, adaptation, and validation process of the Genetic Psychosocial Risk Instrument in a sample of 207 Portuguese applicants to genetic testing in the context of inherited cancer risk.Material and Methods: Participants were mainly female (84.06%), with a mean age of 40.08 (SD = 12.89) and were recruited from the Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto. Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to confirm the Genetic Psychosocial Risk Instrument factorial structure. Convergent validity was assessed with the Impact of Events Scale, the Clinical Outcome Routine Evaluation – Outcome Measure, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale.Results: A model composed by the factors ‘Internal Impact of Genetic Testing’, ‘External Impact of Genetic Testing’ and ‘History of Mental Health Concerns’ was confirmed. These factors showed good internal consistency, convergent and discriminant validity. The factor ‘Personal Loss to Cancer’ proposed in the Canadian and French versions did not converge. We propose excluding this factor from the European Portuguese version of the scale.Conclusion: The European Portuguese version of the Genetic Psychosocial Risk Instrument is a reliable and valid instrument, although more research is needed to effectively use it in routine clinical oncogenetic departments.