Mental Disorders And Genetics Bridging The Gap Between Research And Society

Report on a workshop on the genetics of mental disorders. Key focus is the impact of genetic research on people with mental disorders and their family members. Includes research results on: Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, major mood disorders, panic disorders, and obsessive-compulsive disorders. Includes discussion dedicated to the implications for society including: ethics and research, genetic counseling, public perceptions and social implications. Charts and tables.

''Refreshing and informative....describe[s] the new complex research tools, directions and interpretations in a lucid and understandable fashion.'' --- Lancet, North American edition ''Beautifully crafted...The most significant contribution of this book involves its integration of areas that are not typically considered in genetic overviews.'' --- American Scientist, 1998 ''This book does an extraordinary job of making sense out of the many complex and controversial issues surrounding psychiatric genetics...It is worth the price.'' --- Journal of Genetic Counseling, Vol. 6, No. 3, 1997 This collection of essays clearly examines the complex nature of mental illness, focusing on the theory and state of the art of psychiatric genetics. This insightful volume is the first to present the diverse viewpoints of investigators, policy analysts, and psychiatric patients. Contributors explore the roles of genes in mental illness and describe various clinical, ethical, and social implications of psychiatric genetics. Additional discussions include trends in psychiatric genetic research, nature versus nurture in behavioral genetics, basic statistical principles of linkage analysis, and the many social domains relevant to psychiatric genetics.

Studies involving children with mental, emotional, or behavioral problems--or their families--have to meet certain standards of research ethics. This book contains chapters on the kinds of ethical dilemmas that typically occur in different types of studies of children, and then presents 65 real-world cases from experts who study children's mental health. These experts offer practical suggestions for how to handle these dilemmas. Chapters on the perspectives of parents, regulators, and bioethicists provide additional points of view on these issues. Written in down-to-earth language, this book will be useful for professionals who study children, for those who train students in research methods, and for parents who are thinking about participating in research studies. In attempting to bridge the apparent gap between ethics and science, the editors close this volume on a note commonly sounded by researchers: more research is needed. Yet in this area, a new kind of research is required. The science of scientific ethics must be developed and expanded, and better understanding of the determinants and circumstances under which children can comprehend and evaluate risks and benefits is needed. Likewise, fuller knowledge of the contextual factors affecting children's and families' consent to participate in research is essential. In particular, development of scales to assess children's ability to comprehend risk-benefit issues, studies of families' reactions to research procedures, and empirical data on the impact of various forms of participant reimbursement will advance both science and ethics. This volume should spur further research, serving as a guide for current investigators, participating families, institutional review boards, and policymakers who shape the research enterprise.