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Genetic counseling in psychiatry
Christine T Finn1, Jordan W Smoller
1Harvard Medical School, Department of Psychiatry and Psychiatric Genetics Program in Mood and Anxiety Disorders, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA. cfinn@partners.org
Harvard Review of Psychiatry
|April 11, 2006
Summary
Genetic counseling for psychiatric disorders is under-researched but may see increased demand with gene discoveries. Further studies are needed to establish its effectiveness and integrate genetic advances into clinical practice.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Medical Genetics
- Genetic Counseling
Background:
- Psychiatrists often discuss family history, but systematic research on genetic counseling for psychiatric disorders is limited.
- Anticipated identification of psychiatric disorder susceptibility genes may increase patient and family expectations for genetic services.
- Current clinical practice lacks robust evidence for the role and effectiveness of genetic counseling in psychiatry.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review evidence for potential increased demand for genetic counseling in psychiatry.
- To explore the role and challenges of genetic counseling for psychiatric disorders.
- To identify needs for future research and clinician education in psychiatric genetics.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of existing evidence on genetic counseling in psychiatric disorders.
- Exploration of potential clinical applications and challenges of genetic information dissemination.
- Analysis of the implications of emerging genetic research for clinical practice.
Main Results:
- Evidence suggests a possible rise in demand for genetic counseling as psychiatric genetics advances.
- Genetic counseling may play a role in managing patient and family expectations related to genetic findings.
- Conveying complex genetic information in a clinical psychiatric setting presents unique challenges.
Conclusions:
- Further research is essential to determine the effectiveness of genetic counseling interventions for psychiatric conditions.
- Enhanced genetics education for clinicians is crucial for integrating genetic research into psychiatric practice.
- Systematic investigation is needed to support the clinical translation of psychiatric genetics findings.