“It's Not Deterministic and It Will Never Be Deterministic”: A Qualitative Study on Stakeholder Perspectives of Polygenic Risk Score Testing for Post‐Traumatic Stress Disorder

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) causes significant mental and physical distress, yet only a small subset of individuals exposed to trauma develop the disorder. Scientists and clinicians are still unable to predict who will get the disorder or how it will manifest. Genetic factors contribute to PTSD risk, but integrating genetic findings into clinical practice has been challenging. Military veterans are especially impacted by PTSD and have different treatment outcomes when compared to civilians. Thus, genetic findings related to PTSD may be particularly valuable to this population. This qualitative study explored expectations and concerns regarding polygenic risk score (PRS) testing for PTSD risk among three stakeholder groups: military veterans diagnosed with PTSD, clinicians who treat veterans with PTSD, and researchers specializing in PTSD genetics. Through semi-structured interviews, I developed three themes that each convey a unique aspect of how research participants conceptualize some potential avenues for pre-empting and living with PTSD, should PRS become widely available: (1) Controlling what you can; (2) The complexity of PTSD; (3) Potential risks for an increased emphasis on the genetic component of PTSD. Understanding stakeholder perspectives is crucial for tailoring education efforts, anticipating ethical challenges, and facilitating the responsible, equitable integration of PRS into clinical settings in the future.