title: Community interest in predictive genetic testing for susceptibility to major depressive disorder in a large national sample.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Despite international concern about unregulated predictive genetic testing, there are surprisingly few data on both the determinants of community interest in such testing and its psychosocial impact.
  
  
  METHODS
  A large population-based public survey with community-dwelling adults (n=1046) ascertained through random digit dialling. Attitudes were assessed by structured interviews.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study found strong interest in predictive genetic testing for a reported susceptibility to depression. Once the benefits and disadvantages of such testing had been considered, there was significantly greater interest in seeking such a test through a doctor (63%) compared to direct-to-consumer (DTC; 40%) (p<0.001). Personal history of mental illness [odds ratio (OR) 2.58, p<0.001], self-estimation of being at higher than average risk for depression (OR 1.92, p<0.001), belief that a genetic component would increase rather than decrease stigma (OR 1.62, p<0.001), and endorsement of benefits of genetic testing (OR 3.47, p<0.001) significantly predicted interest in having such a test.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite finding attitudes that genetic links to mental illness would increase rather than decrease stigma, we found strong community acceptance of depression risk genotyping, even though a predisposition to depression may only manifest upon exposure to stressful life events. Our results suggest that there will be a strong demand for predictive genetic testing.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. alex.wilde@unsw.edu.au
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wilde
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Meiser
authors.forename: P B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hadzi-Pavlovic
authors.forename: P R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Schofield
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001315:Australia; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005820:Genetic Testing / Q000523:psychology; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D055815:Young Adult