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Impact of Genetic Counseling for Individuals With Mental Illness

NCT00713804 · Status: COMPLETED · Phase: PHASE3 · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 120

Last updated 2012-07-12

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

People who have experienced mental illnesses like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or schizoaffective disorder often have a poor understanding of the causes of their illness, and that they are often very worried about how the illness affects their families. In particular, affected individuals worry that there is a high chance that any children that they have will become affected with the same illness. Often, because of this fear, affected individuals choose not to have children.

Genetic counseling is a process where information about the causes of illnesses, and about chances for family members of individuals with these illnesses to become similarly affected is provided in a supportive environment by a specially trained healthcare professional. This study will investigate whether genetic counseling can reduce perceptions of risk and stigma, and increase perceived control and knowledge about the causes of the illness, amongst individuals who have a major mental illness.

Conditions

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Genetic Counseling

One face-to-face genetic counseling session of 1-2hours duration, with a board certified or board eligible genetic counselor which will involve, documentation of a detailed family history, discussion of: the contributors to mental illness pathogenesis, illness risk reduction strategies, chances for family members to develop mental illness (if required), supportive counseling around living with illness/risk of illness/managing illness vulnerability, and referral to support organizations as required.

BEHAVIORAL

Educational Booklet

One educational booklet that provides information about the causes of mental illnesses, and the chances for relatives of affected individuals to develop mental illness will be provided to participants.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • University of British Columbia

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Jehannine Austin, PhD, CCGC, CGC · University of British Columbia

  • Erin Michalak · University of British Columbia

  • William Honer, MD · University of British Columbia

  • Catriona Hippman, MSc · University of British Columbia

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Masking
SINGLE
Model
SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age
19 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2008-07-31
Primary Completion
2011-06-30
Completion
2011-11-30

Countries

  • Canada

Study Locations

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Entities

Diseases

Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT00713804 on ClinicalTrials.gov