I was intrigued by the fact that for $399 you could spit in a cup, send it off in the mail, and have genetic testing done. There is an explosion of companies advertising these services on the Internet.
I began to wonder what the limits of genetic testing were. Could this genome testing predict mental illnesses, such as depression, drug addiction, and alcoholism?
What would parents do if they tested their baby and found out he was doomed to alcoholism or drug addiction? What if the tests could be done during pregnancy, before the baby was born? What are the ethical and moral implications?
What would you do…?
It seems that every year with disturbing regularity, the media jumps all over some new claim of having found the genetic marker for alcoholism or drug addiction, implying a ‘cure’ is at hand. Just as frequently, there is an announcement of “the Magic Pill” that will either cure addiction or allow people to continue to use with impunity.
Now We Have The Advent Of Genetic Testing
Genetic testing, for me, raises two important questions:
1. Can the testing be predictive of mental health diseases?
2. Is there value in these tests being offered on the Internet?
Regarding the first question The National Institute Of Mental Health has this to say concerning the ability of genetic testing to predict mental health diseases:
Q. Can the new genome scans tell me what diseases I might get?
“A. To date, no gene variants are known that can predict with certainty whether or not someone will get a number of common diseases, including mental illnesses. Scientists haven’t yet discovered whether many of the gene variations that occur in humans are connected to specific diseases or how much they raise or lower the risk.”
Genetic tests for some rare diseases clearly tied to a specific, single gene, like cystic fibrosis, fragile X syndrome (a heritable cause of mental retardation), or sickle cell disease, give people definitive answers about their risk of getting these rare illnesses.”
Almost all mental health professionals would agree that a mental health illness is a combination of many risk factors, not just genetics. In fact there is controversy about genetics being involved at all.
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Question #2. Is there value in these tests being offered on the Internet?
“People are always rushing to the market on the basis of one or two studies,” said Dr. Muin Khoury, director of the National Office of Public Health Genomics at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “We have very little evidence that telling people their genetic information is going to make any difference.”
A report on msnbc states that “The proliferation of these tests (genetic) troubles many public health officials, medical ethicists and doctors. The tests receive almost no government oversight, even though many of them are being sold as tools for making serious medical decisions.
Health experts worry that many of these products are built on thin data and are preying on individuals’ deepest anxieties.”
John M. Grohol, Psy.D pulls no punches: “The first wave of companies is coming on the scene to peddle genetic tests that purport to help people see if they have genes associated with possible higher incidences of a particular disease or condition. Sound a little fishy? Well, given the complexity of genomics today, it is.
We consider all these kinds of genetic tests scams — elaborate tests draped in scientific mumbo-jumbo that provide little actionable information, or information that can’t already be readily obtained more easily and cheaply elsewhere.”
Family History Gives You Good Clues About Your Risk
Your family history is one of your best clues about your risk of developing many common illnesses, including mental disorders.
For example, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia tend to run in families. At this time, no type of genetic testing can tell you whether or not you will develop mental illnesses. Not enough is known about which gene variations contribute to them, or the degree to which other factors contribute.
For now, your family history may be your best indicator. For example, studies show that if you have a close relative with bipolar disorder, you have about a 10 percent chance of getting a mood disorder, such as bipolar disorder or depression.1
Now consider what the gene variations scientists have linked to mental disorders, so far, can tell you about your risk. Even the variations with the strongest ties raise the risk by only very small amounts. Knowing that you have one of these variations won’t tell you nearly as much about your risk as your family history can.
Family history also provides a good clue about your risk of rare diseases that can be detected through genetic testing. If one of these rare diseases, such as cystic fibrosis, runs in your family, your risk is likely very high.
If a disease runs in your family, your health-care provider can tell you if it’s the kind of illness that can be detected through genetic testing at this time.
Having looked at lot facts from reputable sources, and given the state of the art of genetic testing at this time, there is no way of predicting mental illness, such as addiction at this time. The question arising form the concept of genetic testing predicting mental illness is very disturbing, however.
What do you think? Please feel free to leave a comment.
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{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
I agree with you – family history is likely the best indicator. It’s interesting how willing we (individuals, family members, medical professionals and society, as a whole) are to accept our genetic risk for breast cancer or heart disease (without having identified a specific gene) if we have a family history of those diseases, yet when it comes to a genetic risk for alcoholism (the disease of addiction to alcohol) — even though it too is a disease — people won’t go there. Instead, we’ll go to great lengths to argue there’s no genetic link because there has been no specific gene identified. It’s too bad. The longer one waits to seek treatment for alcoholism, the more damage is done to all concerned — the alcoholic AND their families who are coping with the alcoholic’s drinking behaviors.
I would use it, of course, but I’m not dreaming of finding out if my child will like watching tv or playing videogames – that’s not genetic. And alcoholism and drug addiction isn’t genetic either. I’d find out if I have bad genes that will get passed on, but nothing more, let’s be honest here.
I don’t believe in genetic testing for alcoholism. It’s not even remotely plausible, so I wouldn’t pay for something that promises that. I would, pay, however, for a gene map and other gene stuff.
Definitely! If I could find out what kind of genes I’d send to my child, and what he’ll be like before even having him! That way I’ll know for sure if I want to get on with it, or maybe wait a little bit.
Mmmm,
This is a difficult subject to look at – good post too
My friend has an incredibly rare Gene set that, from what I understand, makes him immune – I say IMMUNE to HIV and other nasty Viruses..
The protein his Gene set produces that fights these conditions cannot be cloned… So scientists are a bit lost on it, but they can grow animals with the Gene set present, which then also become immune to these viruses!
GOD blood if you ask me!!
Andy
This is a very interesting question that you’ve posed. I honestly don’t think that I would pay $399 for such a test. I think too much knowledge could be a dangerous thing. I’d rather just be old fashioned and find things out as they happen.
You make a great point here. Genetics play some part in just about everyting, but it amounts to “some degree of likelyhood that X will occur…”
Persen A will be, to some degree, more likely to be aggressive, passive, etc. than B, but we always need to remember that we are learning machines.
Environment, connections, friends, early impressions count for far more.
What are the some of the benefits and risks of genetic testing? Like testing for a disease that you could have inherited from your parents such as Huntington’s disease.
Yes I believe that these kinds of tests would be very beneficial, especially if specific conditions (such as a higher incidence of heart disease in my family) could be screened and removed.
I do think there is a possible benefit to genetic testing that reveals whether or not one has the gene variation that leads to our physical alcoholism. In other words, the test that shows if you have the physical allergy – the physiological process in which one breaks down alcohol differs in a non-alcoholic vs an alcoholic.
I believe this can be beneficial in terms of breaking an alcoholic’s denial. From there, he/she can move forward to work on the rest of their recovery having genetic proof of step 1! What do you think?
Yes, I would. As a parent, I have a duty to give my child the absolute best start in life, with all of the advantages at my disposal.
Hi BILL URELL.
nice post.
I like it.
I absolutely not. There is no need for me to find out if my baby will be an alcoholic or a drug addict because I won’t let him to be.
Why spend 399 Dollars for that if you can raise properly and tell him that being an alcoholic or a drug addict is not good? And I don’t think that if your father or mother is alcoholic and a drug addict you will be like them too. It only depends on you.
But I do agree that Family History Gives You Good Clues About Your Risk. Like in my case. my asthma is hereditary. I know that because my grandmother and uncle are also asthmatic.
The ethical part to doing testing like this is always controversial. If it is unethical to test for mental illness, then is it ethical to test for Down Syndrome, for example? Where do we draw the line?
Of course, now that such tests are still not perfected yet, people may still be skeptical and think such testing shouldn’t be done. But as time passes by, we may well have different standards and think differently, especially when such tests have become a good or accurate predictor of mental illness.
I would not get a genetic testing for my baby. I will not let the test result determine how I will raise my child. I will focus on how I will raise my child the right way instead of the genetic test.
I think cause of some mental illness is genetics….
If my thought is right then even before the birth of the child his destiny or characteristic can be define…
But there is one more factor affecting nature of any child at it’s mature age. This factor is behavior and thinking of mother during her pregnancy….
I don’t how can I relate this thing with genetics but I have seen this effect…
A question of nature vs nurture here? If you believe it is in the genes that people behave in a certain way, then you might feel that a test is one way to make sure. But if you believe that a person can be influenced and conditioned, and nothing is set in stone, then a test may not seem right.