Objective: Knowledge
about the genetic basis of psychiatric illness is growing rapidly, and
psychiatrists may be called upon to incorporate this information into
clinical practice. The goal of this study was to assess psychiatrists'
familiarity with and attitudes toward genetic information.
Method: We surveyed 844
participants, the majority of whom were psychiatrists, attending a
continuing medical education course in the fall of 2002 and measured
knowledge, opinions, and current practice patterns in regard to
psychiatric genetics.
Results: Responses were
received from 352 psychiatrists (54% of those surveyed). Most
psychiatrists correctly answered fewer than half of survey items
assessing general and psychiatric genetic knowledge. While 83%
considered it their role to discuss genetic information with patients
and families, fewer than 25% felt prepared or competent to do so. In
response to hypothetical questions regarding genetic testing, a
substantial proportion of psychiatrists indicated willingness to use
such tests for diagnostic clarification, as well as presymptomatic and
even prenatal risk prediction. The majority of respondents expressed
interest in further genetics education.
Conclusions: Our results
suggest that psychiatrists view genetic information as clinically
relevant, but have limitations in knowledge that may impact the
incorporation of psychiatric genetics into clinical practice.
(J Clin Psychiatry
2005;66:821-830)
Received Dec. 2, 2004; accepted Jan.
27, 2005. From the Department of Psychiatry (Drs. Finn, Blacker, Sklar,
and Smoller and Ms. Racette), the Psychiatric Genetics Program in Mood
and Anxiety Disorders (Drs. Finn and Smoller and Ms. Racette), and the
Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetic Unit (Drs. Sklar and Smoller),
Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston; Boston University Medical School
Genetics Program, Boston, Mass. (Dr. Wilcox); University of Alabama at
Birmingham, Birmingham (Dr. Korf); and Broad Institute, Boston, Mass.
(Dr. Sklar). A portion of this study was
supported by the American Psychiatric Institute for Research and
Education on Severe Mental Illness-Janssen Pharmaceuticals Research
Scholarship (Drs. Finn and Smoller) and by grants from the National
Institute of Mental Health (K-08 MH01770-02) (Dr. Smoller) and the
National Institutes of Health (ELSI grant R01 HG01831) (Dr. Blacker). The authors acknowledge the
directors and staff of the Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard
Medical School psychopharmacology course for their assistance in
completing this project: John B. Herman, M.D., Jerrold F. Rosenbaum,
M.D., and Maurizio Fava, M.D., along with Gail Dickson, M.P.A. In
addition, we thank Ming Tsuang, M.D., Ph.D., D.Sc., Stephen Faraone,
Ph.D., Susan L. Santangelo, Sc.D., Robin Blatt, R.N., M.P.H., Beth
Rosen-Sheidley, M.S., C.G.C., Holly Peay, M.S., C.G.C., and Catherine
Bove, R.N., M.Ed., A.P.N.G., for their helpful feedback in the
development of the survey. We also thank Mason Freeman, M.D., William
Crowley, M.D., and Virginia Hughes, M.S., for their collaboration.
Corresponding author and reprints:
Christine T. Finn, M.D., 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Suite 250, Boston, MA
02115 (e-mail:
cfinn@partners.org).
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