Several trends are apparent from the studies reviewed here. Patients and family members of persons with mental disorders show a high level of interest in diagnostic genetic testing, and to a considerable extent psychiatrists share their enthusiasm. However, the data for both groups are based largely on projections regarding future genetic tests, rather than on tests currently available. Similar conclusions apply to predictive testing, where for many respondents, interest is linked to the possibility of future effective prophylactic interventions. At the same time, these generally positive views are moderated by fears of negative consequences, ranging from concerns about discrimination to worries about being unable to cope with knowledge of what may be seen as one’s “genetic fate.” That several studies have found that psychiatrists who know more about genetics are less likely to endorse the value of testing suggests the need for greater education of both patients and health professionals on the uses, limits, and potential negative consequences of genetic testing. The extent to which psychiatric genetic testing is embraced in the future is likely to depend on the success of these educational efforts, over and above the strict clinical utility of the tests themselves.
