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BEHAVIOURAL CHANGES AFTER PSYCHIATRIC GENETIC COUNSELING: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY
Abstracts
S913
genetic testing in ASD, especially regarding the inherent uncertainties, and to include referral to a clinical genetic specialist if available. Careful and informed genetic counseling is crucial and may lead to improved coping and adaptation, and may reduce negative consequences of stigma and discrimination.
varying degree of susceptibility –some may be higher than others- but symptoms of mental illness are not predetermined. Discussion: Overall, participants reported health behavior changes and improved mental health outcome after PGC. Future studies could explore these changes quantitatively.
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.euroneuro.2017.08.235
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.euroneuro.2017.08.236
SU47. BEHAVIOURAL CHANGES AFTER PSYCHIATRIC
SU48. HERITABILITY OF HAIR CORTISOL AND GENETIC OVERLAP WITH PSYCHOLOGICAL VARIABLES
GENETIC COUNSELING: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY
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Emily Morris , Stephanie Huynh, Angela Inglis, Jehannine Austin University of British Columbia
Background: Though often thought of as an intervention exclusively concerned with delivering information about genetic testing/recurrence risk, Genetic Counseling (GC) is actually “a process of helping people to understand and adapt to the medical, psychological, and familial implications of genetic contributions to disease.” There is currently limited data relating to the effect of genetic counseling (rather than information) on patients’ health behaviors. With its focus on strategies to protect mental health, Psychiatric Genetic Counseling (PGC) is conceptually positioned to produce health behavior changes. Indeed, research shows that PGC leads to increased patient empowerment and self-efficacy – both of which are necessary for patients to engage in behavior change. No studies have yet examined if PGC can evoke patient health behavior changes. Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews with eight patients with a personal history of psychiatric illness who had received PGC in Vancouver, Canada within the previous year, to explore its effect on health behaviors. Interviews focused on (i) experience with PGC services, (ii) perception of the etiology of mental illness and risk of developing symptoms, (iii) views on their past and current behavior and ability to change, and (iv) changes in their behavior since their PGC session. Guided by grounded theory, we used a constant comparative approach to data analysis. Results: Participants reported increases in use of protective behaviors such as exercise, improving sleep habits, adhering to prescribed medication, seeking professional help and engaging in self-care. Participants reported increased sense of control, confidence and acceptance of their psychiatric disorder after PGC. This arose from having their feelings of guilt, shame, fear and hopelessness, and misconceptions and/or uncertainties about the etiology of psychiatric disorders and recommended risk-reducing behaviors addressed. PGC reframed participants’ initial perception of mental illness by separating cause into controllable and uncontrollable factors, discussing strategies to address the controllable factors and reiterating that everyone has a
Fabian Streit ,1, Liz Rietschel2, Gu Zhu3, Kerrie McAloney3, Tina Binz4, CORtisolNETwork Consortium, Major Depressive Disorder Working Group of the Psychiatric GWAS Consortium, Narelle K. Hansell3, Margie Wright3, Nathan Gillespie5, Markus Nöthen6, Markus Baumgartner4, Lucia Colodro Conde3, Nick Martin7, Marcella Rietschel1 1
Central Institute of Mental Health University Clinic Hamburg Eppendorf 3 QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute 4 Centre for Forensic Hair Analysis, Institute of Forensic Medicine 5 Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics 6 University of Bonn 7 Queensland Institute of Medical Research 2
Background: Measuring cortisol in hair is a promising method to assess the regulation of the HypothalamusPituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis which is altered in psychiatric disorders. First studies indicate a contribution of genetic factors to inter-individual variance in Hair Cortisol Concentration (HCC). Evidence for a genetic overlap between HCC and psychological variables would indicate a true biological link pointing at a causal involvement of the HPA axis in the vulnerability for psychiatric disorders. The aims of the present study were (1) to assess the heritability of HCC (2) to estimate the genetic and environmental association of HCC and perceived stress, depressive symptoms and neuroticism using twin models and a molecular genetic approach, i.e. Polygenic Risk Scores (PRS). Methods: Hair samples from 671 individuals (mean age = 14.5 years) including 183 dizygotic twin-pairs were analyzed. PRS scores were based on large published genome-wide association studies for depression, neuroticism and plasma cortisol, and analyzed in 432 individuals. Results: The twin model revealed (1) a heritability of HCC of 72%, but (2) no phenotypic nor genetic overlap of HCC with psychological variables. Discussion: HCC is highly heritable, but shows no phenotypic / genetic correlation with any of the studied psychological variables in our young individuals from the general population. Disclosure: Nothing to disclose. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.euroneuro.2017.08.237
S913
genetic testing in ASD, especially regarding the inherent uncertainties, and to include referral to a clinical genetic specialist if available. Careful and informed genetic counseling is crucial and may lead to improved coping and adaptation, and may reduce negative consequences of stigma and discrimination.
varying degree of susceptibility –some may be higher than others- but symptoms of mental illness are not predetermined. Discussion: Overall, participants reported health behavior changes and improved mental health outcome after PGC. Future studies could explore these changes quantitatively.
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.euroneuro.2017.08.235
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.euroneuro.2017.08.236
SU47. BEHAVIOURAL CHANGES AFTER PSYCHIATRIC
SU48. HERITABILITY OF HAIR CORTISOL AND GENETIC OVERLAP WITH PSYCHOLOGICAL VARIABLES
GENETIC COUNSELING: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY
n
n
Emily Morris , Stephanie Huynh, Angela Inglis, Jehannine Austin University of British Columbia
Background: Though often thought of as an intervention exclusively concerned with delivering information about genetic testing/recurrence risk, Genetic Counseling (GC) is actually “a process of helping people to understand and adapt to the medical, psychological, and familial implications of genetic contributions to disease.” There is currently limited data relating to the effect of genetic counseling (rather than information) on patients’ health behaviors. With its focus on strategies to protect mental health, Psychiatric Genetic Counseling (PGC) is conceptually positioned to produce health behavior changes. Indeed, research shows that PGC leads to increased patient empowerment and self-efficacy – both of which are necessary for patients to engage in behavior change. No studies have yet examined if PGC can evoke patient health behavior changes. Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews with eight patients with a personal history of psychiatric illness who had received PGC in Vancouver, Canada within the previous year, to explore its effect on health behaviors. Interviews focused on (i) experience with PGC services, (ii) perception of the etiology of mental illness and risk of developing symptoms, (iii) views on their past and current behavior and ability to change, and (iv) changes in their behavior since their PGC session. Guided by grounded theory, we used a constant comparative approach to data analysis. Results: Participants reported increases in use of protective behaviors such as exercise, improving sleep habits, adhering to prescribed medication, seeking professional help and engaging in self-care. Participants reported increased sense of control, confidence and acceptance of their psychiatric disorder after PGC. This arose from having their feelings of guilt, shame, fear and hopelessness, and misconceptions and/or uncertainties about the etiology of psychiatric disorders and recommended risk-reducing behaviors addressed. PGC reframed participants’ initial perception of mental illness by separating cause into controllable and uncontrollable factors, discussing strategies to address the controllable factors and reiterating that everyone has a
Fabian Streit ,1, Liz Rietschel2, Gu Zhu3, Kerrie McAloney3, Tina Binz4, CORtisolNETwork Consortium, Major Depressive Disorder Working Group of the Psychiatric GWAS Consortium, Narelle K. Hansell3, Margie Wright3, Nathan Gillespie5, Markus Nöthen6, Markus Baumgartner4, Lucia Colodro Conde3, Nick Martin7, Marcella Rietschel1 1
Central Institute of Mental Health University Clinic Hamburg Eppendorf 3 QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute 4 Centre for Forensic Hair Analysis, Institute of Forensic Medicine 5 Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics 6 University of Bonn 7 Queensland Institute of Medical Research 2
Background: Measuring cortisol in hair is a promising method to assess the regulation of the HypothalamusPituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis which is altered in psychiatric disorders. First studies indicate a contribution of genetic factors to inter-individual variance in Hair Cortisol Concentration (HCC). Evidence for a genetic overlap between HCC and psychological variables would indicate a true biological link pointing at a causal involvement of the HPA axis in the vulnerability for psychiatric disorders. The aims of the present study were (1) to assess the heritability of HCC (2) to estimate the genetic and environmental association of HCC and perceived stress, depressive symptoms and neuroticism using twin models and a molecular genetic approach, i.e. Polygenic Risk Scores (PRS). Methods: Hair samples from 671 individuals (mean age = 14.5 years) including 183 dizygotic twin-pairs were analyzed. PRS scores were based on large published genome-wide association studies for depression, neuroticism and plasma cortisol, and analyzed in 432 individuals. Results: The twin model revealed (1) a heritability of HCC of 72%, but (2) no phenotypic nor genetic overlap of HCC with psychological variables. Discussion: HCC is highly heritable, but shows no phenotypic / genetic correlation with any of the studied psychological variables in our young individuals from the general population. Disclosure: Nothing to disclose. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.euroneuro.2017.08.237