More specifically, we sought to (a) assess cognitive and emotional illness representations and coping strategies in BRCA1/2 mutation carriers, (b) analyze the association between illness representations, coping strategies and psychological distress (cancer worry and depressive symptoms), and (c) explore whether women who already had a breast or ovarian cancer diagnosis differ from women with no former cancer diagnosis in terms of illness representations, coping strategies and psychological distress. Here, BRCA1 is linked to cancer.