Mental Health: Gottesman et al (2010) Flashcards
Summary and background
Investigated couples who have psychiatric illnesses and their offspring to calculate the risk of their offspring also being diagnosed with a psychiatric illness.
Aim
To investigate the importance of genetic influence on offspring, where both parents have been admitted with a severe psychiatric disorder.
Procedure
Records of families from the national register in Denmark were used.
Participants were born or alive after 1968 and offspring followed up to 52 years old.
Patients were diagnosed used ICD-8 and ICD-10 to check for concurrent validity.
The study measures the cumulative incidences of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder in the offspring up to the age of 52.
Results
2 parents (w/ schizophrenia) = 3.9 times higher risk (than 1).
-> 27% incidence rate o also being diagnosed with schizophrenia.
1 parent (w/ S.) = 31.7 times higher risk (than 0).
-> 7%
Control group:
Risk of offspring being diagnosed = 1.12%
(Neither parent admitted = 0.48%)
Conclusion
There is a greater risk of being admitted with a psychological disorder if both parents have been admitted with a disorder, compared to the general population.
Evaluation
State the strengths of Gottesman et al’s study.
1- High in ecological validity
2- Representative sample
3- Ethical: records were available. Anonymity assured.
4- Valid: diagnosis over time from ICD-8 to ICD-10 was valid. (Concurrent validity).
5- Useful to advise people on risks associated with having children, adopting and genetic counselling.
Evaluation
State the weaknesses of Gottesman et al’s study.
1- Difficult to rule out influence of shared environment.
2- May be unethical to use results to discriminate people from having children, adopting or for increasing health insurance premiums.
3- May only apply to Denmark.
Issues & debates
Validity
High:
-> Ecological validity
-> Concurrent validity (diagnosis in ICD-8 and ICD-10).
Has:
-> Population validity (looks at Denmark’s whole population - but can’t check for accuracy, which limits validity).
Issues & debates
Nature vs Nurture
Nature:
Shows evidence for inheritability (impact genes have on) mental disorders e.g., schizophrenia, bipolar disorder for parents’ offspring 67.5% were diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder when both parents diagnosed with schizophrenia.
Nurture:
However, shared environment may be a nurture influence.
Issues & debates
Sample
Cons:
Less representative of other countries outside of Denmark.
Pros:
However large sample size makes it more generalisable to everyone in Denmark.
Issues & debates
Determinism vs freewill
Determinist:
Study supports genetics / genes as being responsible for determining the likelihood of an individual / offspring developing a mental disorder (nature) e.g., schizophrenia / bipolar / unipolar disorder / depression.
This means the study believes the viewpoint that whether an individual develops a mental disorder is predetermined and thus not due to external factors e.g., environmental (nurture) or the decision the person makes.
Freewill:
Data from study allows potential parents to make an informed decision of whether to have a child e.g., if both / 1 parent(s) have a mental disorder, their child is likely to develop one, so could choose against it.
Issues & debates
Individual vs situational
Individual:
Supports belief of genetics being responsible for behaviour by giving evidence for the probability that offspring will inherit the genes from their parents that would make them likely / not to develop a mental disorder, depending on whether their parent(s) have been diagnosed with one or not.
Situational:
Study acknowledges that a shared environment could be an influence.
What are 2 suggestions a psychologist might make about how the findings could be used?
1- To conduct genetic counselling
For couples to offer support for people who have been diagnosed with a mental disorder.
E.g., giving advice / help with family planning -
-> Gottesman gives evidence for how there is a greater risk that the offspring would develop a MD if both parents have been diagnosed
-> could influence couple’s decision.
2- Findings could be used to aid / prompt future research.
Gives evidence for genes being responsible for mental illness.
-> If specific genes that are responsible for it can be identified (future research), it may be possible to use GENETIC ENGINEERING to prevent / decrease the chance that children develop MD especially with parents who both have been diagnosed (higher risk).
OTHERS:
3- Suggest early interventions to help with parenting
(extension for genetic counselling).
4- Further research (extension)
-> Why some couples go on to have children with the same disorder as them, but not all do.
Genetic influence definition
The impact of inheritance on the likelihood of developing a mental disorder.
(E.g., schizophrenia / bipolar disorder).
Give one reason to agree with Gottesman
Ps were diagnosed using both the ICD-8 and ICD-10, meaning the study had high concurrent validity.
