PREDICTION, SELECTION, AND STIGMA: ETHICAL TENSIONS IN PSYCHIATRIC GENETICS

Overall Abstract Within the past year, the field of psychiatric genetics has continued to advance innovative efforts to understand and improve public health. Several areas raise complex ethical issues, including research on pediatric neurodivergence and neurodiverse populations, genetic testing, and embryo pre-screening. Importantly, even discussions of ethical concerns carry the risk of unintentionally perpetuating stigma. In this symposium, we review recent developments in psychiatric genetics and associated ethical considerations within a framework designed to mitigate stigma. Dr. Reeteka Sud, PhD, from The National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences, will present results from the ISPG membership survey on stigma. She will summarize the first empirical assessment of stigma among psychiatric genetics professionals and outline key action points for the field. Presenters will then address the current state of three major research areas associated with significant ethical concerns: genetic testing for neurodevelopmental differences, psychiatric genetic testing for specific “pharmacogenes,” and polygenic embryo screening. Dr. Takahiro Soda, MD, from the University of Florida, will lead discussion on the complex topic of genetic testing for neurodevelopmental disorders, helping us brainstorm approaches to mitigating stigma related to neurodivergence. Dr. Daniel Mueller, MD, from the University of Ontario, will discuss ethical considerations surrounding psychiatric genetic tests of “pharmacogenes” in both neonatal and adult contexts. And over the past year, new companies have entered the competitive polygenic embryo screening (PES) space, making strong claims about the ability to predict IQ and other behavioral traits. Dr. Todd Lencz, PhD, of the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research at Northwell, will critically examine these claims and present new data on the statistical and sociological properties of PES. Together, these presentations aim to engage ISPG members in an interactive discussion of challenging topics while considering strategies to reduce or mitigate stigma across these domains. Professor Henrietta Raventos, MD, PhD, from the Universidad de Costa Rica, will serve as discussant for this interactive and educational session.