Impact of Genetic Counseling for Female First Degree Relatives of Individuals With Mental Illness

Overview

Women with a close relative who has experienced mental illnesses like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or schizoaffective disorder often have a poor understanding of the causes of the illness, and are often very worried about the chance that any children that they have will become affected with the same illness. Often, because of this fear, these healthy women choose not to have children. Genetic counseling is a process where information about the causes of illnesses, and about chances for family members of individuals with these illnesses to become similarly affected is provided in a supportive environment by a specially trained healthcare professional. This study will investigate whether genetic counseling can reduce perceptions of risk and stigma, and increase perceived control and knowledge about the causes of the illness, amongst women who have a first degree relative with a major mental illness.

We will recruit 75 women who have a close relative with a major psychiatric disorder (as defined above). Each participant will be randomized into one of 3 groups of approximately equal size: one of which will receive genetic counseling within 1 month after enrollment (GC), another will receive the educational brochure within 1 month (EB), and the last will be assigned to waitlist (WT). After randomization (but prior to intervention for GC and EB groups, and within 1 month after enrollment for the WT group) we will gather baseline information regarding the 4 outcome measures (perceived risk and control, stigma, and knowledge). We will re-assess the 4 outcome measures immediately post-intervention for GC and EB groups. A further follow-up (for all groups) will be conducted two months after enrollment (which is 1 month post intervention for GC and EB groups).

Conditions