panic disorder (29%) (Finn et al., 2005). However, other surveys have found higher rates of interest in presymptomatic genetic testing. In a survey by Jones et al. (2002), 69% of psychiatrist trainees (n=32), 79% of patients in a general practice setting (n=90), and 87% of bipolar patients (n=147, 2/3 of whom were enrolled in genetic research) approved of testing asymptomatic adults for bipolar susceptibility genes. Some of this variation among studies is likely due to varying perceptions of genetic risk, i.e., the likelihood that a person with an affected relative will also develop an illness. This was illustrated by a survey conducted through a Canadian website offering information on psychosis (n=116, estimated response rate 1.3%). The investigators found that 85% of respondents with affected family members viewed predictive genetic testing positively; however, testing was viewed positively by 91% who overestimated their genetic risk, as opposed to only 43% of those who underestimated their genetic risk (Austin et al., 2006).
