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Psychiatric genetics will not identify people before they fall ill but it can replace superstition and blame with a more accurate account of vulnerability.
| Photo Credit: Getty Images
When a young man was brought to my clinic after his first episode of psychosis, his parents wanted to know when he could return to college.
This is not an atypical first interaction. However, in many instances, after a few consultations later and especially once the immediate crisis had settled, the questions would take a different turn.
āIs this in our blood?ā a parent would ask. And should their child undergo a genetic test?
I could often tell that they were thinking about whether they had ācausedā the illness, whether their childās future was foregone, and whether the diagnosis would affect marriage prospects and the ability to have healthy children.