Most persons believe genetic information is different from other health information (Roberts et al., 2005), a view endorsed by the 2008 Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act, despite the criticism of some commentators (Baruch & Hudson, 2008; Rothstein, 2005). A desire for strict confidentiality is the rule (Tsuang et al., 2001), with studies showing general agreement that employers (97% of respondents) and insurance companies (77%–94%) should not have access to genetic information (Baruch & Hudson, 2008; Laegsgaard & Mors, 2008; Roberts et al., 2005; Trippitelli et al., 1998). Opinions are more varied about whether doctors should be given genetic test results. In a 2007 Danish survey, 37% of psychiatric patients and 39% of unaffected relatives believed general practitioners should be informed of psychiatric genetic test results with or without patients’ consent, while only 14% of medical and psychology students believed this (students < patients, O.R. 0.3, p<0.001; students < relatives, O.R. 0.3, p<0.001) (Laegsgaard and Mors, 2008). These numbers are less than those in a U.S. survey, where 75% of bipolar patients approved of notifying doctors of genetic test results (Trippitelli et al., 1998).
