Five percent of respondents in Hoop et al.’s (2008b) survey of 45 U.S. psychiatrists reported that patients become more distressed when learning there is a genetic component to their mental illnesses, although 23% of psychiatrists reported patients tend to feel less distressed. In an Australian study, Wilhelm et al. (2009) tested the reactions of 84 unaffected persons prospectively, giving them questionnaires before revealing their 5-HTTLPR genotype (a putative marker for depression risk), and surveying them again at 2 weeks and 3 months post-disclosure. Patients with “high-risk” genotypes had higher distress levels after learning their results, both at 2 weeks and 3 months. However, there were no differences between groups in terms of test-related positive experiences. At 2 weeks and 3 months, 92% of patients felt pleased that they had learned their results, 8% were not sure, and none regretted learning the results.
