Andrea C. Palk|Shareefa Dalvie|Jantina de Vries|Alicia R. Martin|Dan J. Stein
Potential use of clinical polygenic risk scores in psychiatry – ethical implications and communicating high polygenic risk
Groote Schuur Hospital|University of Cape Town|Groote Schuur Hospital|University of Cape Town|Groote Schuur Hospital|University of Cape Town|Massachusetts General Hospital|Groote Schuur Hospital|University of Cape Town
psychiatric disorders present distinct clinical challenges partly attributable multifactorial aetiology absence laboratory tests used confirm diagnosis predict risk psychiatric disorders highly heritable also polygenic genetic risk conferred interactions thousands variants small effect summarized polygenic risk score discuss four areas use polygenic risk scores psychiatric research clinical contexts could ethical implications first concern clinical use polygenic risk scores may exacerbate existing health inequities second research findings regarding polygenic risk could misinterpreted stigmatising discriminatory ways third concerns associated testing minors well eugenics concerns elicited prenatal polygenic risk testing fourth potential challenges could arise feedback interpretation high polygenic risk psychiatric disorder would require consideration would extensive overlap challenges feeding back genetic findings general potential clinical use polygenic risk scoring warrants discussion right given recency possibility end discuss lay interpretations risk genetic information could intersect consideration factors would necessary ensuring effective constructive communication interpretation polygenic risk information turn could implications uptake therapeutic recommendations recent advances polygenic risk scoring major implications clinical potential however care taken ensure communication polygenic risk feed problematic assumptions regarding mental disorders support reductive interpretations