DIABETES/METABOLISM RESEARCH AND REVIEWS REVIEW ARTICLE Diabetes Metab Res Rev 2006; 22: 20–25. Published online 5 September 2005 in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI: 10.1002/dmrr.590 The psychological impact of screening for type 2 diabetes Marcel C. Adriaanse 1 * Frank J. Snoek 2,3 1 Institute for Health Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Netherlands 2 Institute for Research in Extramural Medicine (EMGO-Institute), VU University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, the Netherlands 3 Department of Medical Psychology, VU University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, the Netherlands *Correspondence to: Marcel C. Adriaanse, Institute for Health Sciences, Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. E-mail: marcel.adriaanse@falw.vu.nl Received: 1 February 2005 Revised: 17 May 2005 Accepted: 27 June 2005 Summary Until recently, there was little empirical data regarding the psychological impact of screening for type 2 diabetes. There is now some progress in this area, as evidenced by emerging population based studies reporting on the effects of screening for type 2 diabetes on perceived health status and well-being. Recent studies from our own and other groups show that the diagnosis type 2 diabetes has no substantial adverse or positive effect on the participants’ perceived health status and well-being after notification of the test result. Importantly, screening-detected type 2 diabetes patients beforehand perceive their risk for type 2 diabetes to be low, despite the presence of risk factors, such as obesity, hypertension and a family history, and overall report low levels of diabetes-related symptom distress. Yet, screening-detected type 2 diabetes patients were bothered more by symptoms of hyperglycaemia and fatigue in the first year following diagnosis type 2 diabetes than non-diabetics. On the basis of research to date, we conclude that screening for type 2 diabetes in the general population has no serious psychological side effects. Whether lack of emotional response to screening, is because of unawareness or indifference, needs further investigation. Future studies should be aiming towards a better understanding of how to raise the awareness and understanding of type 2 diabetes and its risk factors in high-risk individuals, while avoiding or minimizing negative effects, such as emotional distress and denial. The growing number of younger people developing type 2 diabetes warrants further research into labeling effects of an early diagnosis. Copyright  2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Keywords type 2 diabetes; screening; impact diagnosis; health-related quality of life Background Type 2 diabetes is characterized by a long asymptomatic period [1], with a substantial proportion of patients presenting with complications at the time of diagnosis [2]. Advocates of screening have suggested that earlier diagnosis and treatment may help to reduce diabetes-related morbidity and mortality. However, there is serious doubt as to the cost-effectiveness of such an approach. Moreover, whether the benefits of early diagnosis in asymptomatic individuals will outweigh any possible psychological harm associated with screening and early treatment is subject of debate [3]. Screening is performed in a population with the aim of selecting individ- uals at risk of an unfavourable health outcome for further investigation, monitoring, advice or treatment [4]. Criteria for implementing screen- ing programmes were developed by Wilson and Jungner on behalf of the Copyright  2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.