age of 45 (Laegsgaard & Mors, 2008). If prenatal genetic tests showed a 25% risk of this outcome, 38% of a mixed group of psychiatric patients would abort, as would 53% of unaffected relatives, and 41% of medical students (relatives > patients; O.R. 1.9, p<0.01) If the risk were 75%, then 64% of patients would abort, along with 74% of relatives and 81% of medical students (more relatives, O.R. 1.6, p<0.05, and students, O.R. 2.4, p<0.01, than patients). In a second scenario, the child was at risk for a moderate mental illness, including two or three episodes of illness and one to three hospitalizations, but medical treatment would let the child live a near-normal life. If prenatal tests showed a 25% risk of this outcome, 13% of patients, 21% of relatives, and 8% of students would abort (relatives > patients, O.R. 1.8, p<0.05, students < relatives, O.R. 0.3, p<0.01). If the risk were 75% then 24% of patients, 37% of relatives, and 23% of students would abort (relatives > patients, O.R. 1.8, p<0.05). It is worth recalling, though, that decisions in real-life settings may differ from those identified when people are asked to make hypothetical choices.
