The advantages and disadvantages of medical screening and the contribution of psychology to medical screening. According to Durojaiye (2009), health screening is a systematic application of a test or survey. to identify people at risk for a specific health problem. This allows for further investigation or direct preventive action with people who have not sought medical attention due to their symptoms of this problem. The main objective of the screening program is therefore to detect the disease or risk factors within the general population, in order to carry out a preventive or therapeutic intervention, because the highest benefit that can be obtained from a Specific treatment is when the disease is less advanced (Wardle & Pape, 1992). Screening is different from diagnosis because it is carried out on asymptomatic people; it does not provide a diagnosis but rather identifies individuals at increased risk for follow-up diagnostic testing (Trevena2009). Health screening has a number of benefits and there is a lot of research that has shown the benefits that health screening brings to the healthcare industry. However, in recent years, research has emerged on the opportunity cost of health screening. As a result, many researchers have indicated that there are a significant number of disadvantages associated with health screening. This essay explores the pros and cons of medical screening and highlights the contribution of psychology to medical screening. Wardle and Pope (1992) stated that it can be very difficult to assess the benefits of health screening. This is mainly because premature deaths from chronic diseases, for example breast and cervical cancer, are relatively rare and solutions are applied when they are most effective. Most of the disadvantages of medical screening lie in the psychological aspect of the individual and the anxiety it causes. Other disadvantages are the misconception it creates among individuals, especially those who test negative, and the altered health behavior people develop because of screening. Most researchers agree that the selection process should only be implemented if the benefits outweigh the harms. Research shows that psychology plays a huge role in reducing the distress created by medical screening. The main psychological methods for managing medical screening stress are thought to be coping strategies that involve teaching simple strategies to bring about emotional regulation and cognitive-behavioral methods that involve changing irrational beliefs..