Psychiatrists are more cautious about testing children and adolescents than are the other groups examined. If a test with high predictive probability existed (>95% chance of having a disorder with a positive test result), less than half of Finn et al.’s (2005) sample would test an asymptomatic child with a family history of schizophrenia (47%), bipolar disorder (44%), or panic disorder (30%). In another study, only 19% of psychiatrists approved of testing children for bipolar susceptibility genes (Jones et al., 2002). If a genetic test for schizophrenia were available, 41% of clinical psychiatrists would test adolescents with social problems, and 20% would test all newborns (DeLisi & Bertisch, 2006). Compared with patients, family members, and other groups, psychiatrists may be more aware of the current limited benefits of genetic testing in psychiatry and more sensitive to possible negative sequelae.
