Examining the Impact of Genetic Test Results
As genetic testing has become more common, a lingering question for researchers and patients alike is: Are there psychological risks of receiving personalized genetic information? Past studies on this question have typically focused on physical illnesses like heart disease and cancer, finding that receiving risk results caused no significant psychological harm. However, the impact of these genetic results on mental health—specifically, psychiatric conditions—remained underexplored, fueling apprehension.
A new study by scientists at the 23andMe Research Institute is helping to answer that question, finding that receiving a genetic report indicating a higher predisposition for depression is not associated with increased feelings of depression or anxiety, even among people who were previously diagnosed with depression or anxiety.
Key Findings: No Increased Anxiety or Depression
Published today in the journal Human Genetics and Genomics Advances, the study examined how over 900 individuals responded to viewing the 23andMe Depression Polygenic Risk Score report. The scientists surveyed consented research participants before the report was available and then again up to six months after they viewed their report.
The researchers used well-validated surveys to measure levels of anxiety and depression, and looked for any change in relative levels of depression or anxiety during the period of the study among those who viewed the report and those who did not.
The scientists found no clinically meaningful differences between those who viewed their reports and those who didn’t.
“We found good news that receiving depression risk information was not associated with clinically meaningful changes in depression or anxiety symptoms,”said Rebecca Berns, PhD, Sr. Product Scientist and lead author of the study. “Our study suggests that people can receive this information without negative effects.”
A Decade of Research on Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Testing
The study is part of a long line of similar studies and findings that have examined the impact of direct-to-consumer genetic testing over more than a decade and a half.
Some of the most intensive work on this includes the seminal research by scientists at Broad Institute and Harvard known as the Impact of Personal Genomics (PGen) Study.
That study examined a range of issues, not just whether testing created undue anxiety, but also whether people understood their results, what they did with those results, and even whether they found value in them.
This new 23andMe Research Institute study adds to the evidence that receiving genetic information is well-tolerated and something individuals may find valuable. Many 23andMe members express a high level of interest in receiving genetic information about mental health conditions, and this study arose directly from our goal of helping members benefit from their genetic results.
Embracing Knowledge Without Fear
This latest study helps alleviate the concern that receiving genetic risk information for mental health conditions might cause psychological harm. This research suggests that genetic risk scores for psychiatric conditions can be delivered responsibly, empowering individuals with valuable knowledge without unnecessarily fueling anxiety or depression.
