Recent research has found that many mental disorders are not the result of a single factor but a combination of factors, including biology, environment, psychology, and genome. A growing body of research is focusing on the lesser-known factor of genetic variations. Studies suggest certain genes and gene variations contribute to mental disorders — different variants play undeniable roles in developing a mental illness. Psychiatrists worldwide report feeling optimistic about genomic research’s potential to determine mental illness risk, clarify diagnoses and guide treatments.
Genomic research focuses on genes, segments of DNA found in cells and passed down hereditarily. While it’s common knowledge that genetic variations and mutations can cause physical diseases, these variations also play a role in determining one’s risk for mental illness. While these contributions are usually quite small, knowing a person’s genetic potential for mental illness can help psychiatrists and physicians diagnose and treat those illnesses.
Research into this arena is young, but the hope is that genetic research may one day make it possible to provide more complete pictures of individuals’ risks of developing mental disorders. Many disorders share a common genetic structure, and certain variants can identify whether a person is at risk for developing more than one disorder. A study conducted by scientists at Massachusetts General Hospital identified more than one hundred genetic variants that affect one’s risk for developing more than one mental condition.
Developing Personalized Treatment
Knowing how disorders relate on a biological level can inform how mental health professionals classify and diagnose mental health conditions. It should come as no surprise, then, that research into this area is growing rapidly, ranging from studies on risks for mood and anxiety conditions, like bipolar disorder, to psychiatric and complex disorders, like schizophrenia and development disorders like Autism. Such information can help psychiatrists develop more sophisticated screening techniques and personalized treatment programs.
Many mental health professionals already interact with genomic technologies in their daily practice, and genetic testing to determine hereditary risk for disorders is becoming increasingly popular. A recent report in the Harvard Review of Psychiatry predicts psychiatrists may eventually order genomic tests regularly. These can aid in risk prediction, diagnosis, prognosis and selection of treatments. These scientists report that this practice is already underway for some psychiatrists. The most common tests currently in use are pharmacogenomics tests that determine how patients might respond to medicine based on their genetic makeup.
Studies suggest most psychiatrists advocate for more genetic testing, as they believe genetics have a strong to moderate influence on patients’ mental health. If this is true, the identification of genomic variants could change the game in psychiatry. Aside from aiding in identifying individuals at risk for disorders and comorbidities, the use of genomics research could help mental healthcare providers better allocate services that would potentially improve clinical outcomes. If psychiatrists can identify patients at risk for a condition, they can closely monitor symptoms and intervene earlier.
Genomic research might even offer a diagnosis as early as childhood, enabling treatment as soon as possible. Reports indicate that more than 20 percent of U.S. adolescents have a diagnosable mental disorder, but most of them never receive diagnosis or treatment, and they carry the disorder into adulthood. Some adolescents with family histories of a neuropsychiatric genetic disorder, such as Huntington’s disease, are already actively considering and receiving genetic testing, and scientists predict this will increase over time. With low-cost genetic testing options available, children and parents interested in their predispositions to psychiatric disorders are likely to seek it out more.
Learn more about Lamar University’s online Program Certificate in Mental Health Counseling.
Sources:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Data and Statistics on Children’s Mental Health
National Center for Biotechnology Information: Integrating Genomics into Psychiatric Practice
National Human Genome Research Institute
23andMe: Massive New Study Finds Shared Genetic Basis for Psychiatric Disorders
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