Predicting major mental illness: ethical and practical considerations
An increasing body of genetic and imaging research shows that it is becoming possible to forecast the onset of major psychiatric disorders such as depression and schizophrenia before people become ill with ever improving accuracy. Practical issues such as the optimal combination of clinical and biol...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press
2019-03-01
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| Series: | BJPsych Open |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2056472419000115/type/journal_article |
| _version_ | 1811157058058190848 |
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| author | Stephen M. Lawrie Sue Fletcher-Watson Heather C. Whalley Andrew M. McIntosh |
| author_facet | Stephen M. Lawrie Sue Fletcher-Watson Heather C. Whalley Andrew M. McIntosh |
| author_sort | Stephen M. Lawrie |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | An increasing body of genetic and imaging research shows that it is becoming possible to forecast the onset of major psychiatric disorders such as depression and schizophrenia before people become ill with ever improving accuracy. Practical issues such as the optimal combination of clinical and biological variables are being addressed, but the application of predictive algorithms to individuals or in routine clinical settings have yet to be tested. The development of predictive methods in mental health comes with substantial ethical questions, including whether people wish to know their level of risk, as well as individual and societal attitudes to the potential adverse effects of data sharing, early diagnosis and treatment, which so far have been largely ignored. Preliminary data suggests that at least some people think predictive research is valuable and would take part in such studies, and some would welcome knowing the results. Future initiatives should systematically assess opinions and attitudes in conjunction with scientific and technical advances. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T05:00:55Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f990c2f09d4c4c5cbf7862ba58a6996e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2056-4724 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T05:00:55Z |
| publishDate | 2019-03-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BJPsych Open |
| spelling | doaj.art-f990c2f09d4c4c5cbf7862ba58a6996e2023-03-09T12:28:48ZengCambridge University PressBJPsych Open2056-47242019-03-01510.1192/bjo.2019.11Predicting major mental illness: ethical and practical considerationsStephen M. Lawrie0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2444-5675Sue Fletcher-Watson1Heather C. Whalley2Andrew M. McIntosh3Head of Psychiatry, Division of Psychiatry and Patrick Wild Centre, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, UKSenior Lecturer, Division of Psychiatry and Patrick Wild Centre, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, UKSenior Research Fellow, Division of Psychiatry, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, UKProfessor of Biological Psychiatry, Division of Psychiatry and Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, UKAn increasing body of genetic and imaging research shows that it is becoming possible to forecast the onset of major psychiatric disorders such as depression and schizophrenia before people become ill with ever improving accuracy. Practical issues such as the optimal combination of clinical and biological variables are being addressed, but the application of predictive algorithms to individuals or in routine clinical settings have yet to be tested. The development of predictive methods in mental health comes with substantial ethical questions, including whether people wish to know their level of risk, as well as individual and societal attitudes to the potential adverse effects of data sharing, early diagnosis and treatment, which so far have been largely ignored. Preliminary data suggests that at least some people think predictive research is valuable and would take part in such studies, and some would welcome knowing the results. Future initiatives should systematically assess opinions and attitudes in conjunction with scientific and technical advances.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2056472419000115/type/journal_articleBipolar affective disordersdepressive disordersethicsimagingpsychotic disorders |
| spellingShingle | Stephen M. Lawrie Sue Fletcher-Watson Heather C. Whalley Andrew M. McIntosh Predicting major mental illness: ethical and practical considerations BJPsych Open Bipolar affective disorders depressive disorders ethics imaging psychotic disorders |
| title | Predicting major mental illness: ethical and practical considerations |
| title_full | Predicting major mental illness: ethical and practical considerations |
| title_fullStr | Predicting major mental illness: ethical and practical considerations |
| title_full_unstemmed | Predicting major mental illness: ethical and practical considerations |
| title_short | Predicting major mental illness: ethical and practical considerations |
| title_sort | predicting major mental illness ethical and practical considerations |
| topic | Bipolar affective disorders depressive disorders ethics imaging psychotic disorders |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2056472419000115/type/journal_article |
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