This volume offers a comprehensive and readable introduction to the science and practice of psychiatric genetics. The authors illuminate the complex interplay of genes and environmental factors involved in the causation and expression of frequently encountered disorders including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, and Alzheimer disease. Outlining important recent findings, the book describes not only what scientists have learned, but also how these discoveries have been made. Clinicians, students, and researchers will gain the basic knowledge they need to evaluate reports of genetic research, understand implications for treatment, and communicate genetic information to clients and families.

Addressing clients’ questions and concerns about the role of genetics in mental illness. As we learn more about how our biology and genes can play into the development of a mental health disorder, patients and their families are increasingly seeking answers to tough questions about common risk factors, the likelihood of recurrence, the need for genetic testing, and implications for future generations. A practical, go-to resource for all mental health clinicians, this guide explains just how to address these questions and concerns in a way that’s comprehensible and compassionate. Filled with case studies, sample dialogues, and question-and-answer examples, it is an essential roadmap for practitioners, helping them to demystify a complex issue for their clients and equip them with the accurate, reassuring information they need.

A comprehensive, up-to-date resource providing information about genetic influences on disorders of behavior.

''Refreshing and informative....describe[s] the new complex research tools, directions and interpretations in a lucid and understandable fashion.'' --- Lancet, North American edition ''Beautifully crafted...The most significant contribution of this book involves its integration of areas that are not typically considered in genetic overviews.'' --- American Scientist, 1998 ''This book does an extraordinary job of making sense out of the many complex and controversial issues surrounding psychiatric genetics...It is worth the price.'' --- Journal of Genetic Counseling, Vol. 6, No. 3, 1997 This collection of essays clearly examines the complex nature of mental illness, focusing on the theory and state of the art of psychiatric genetics. This insightful volume is the first to present the diverse viewpoints of investigators, policy analysts, and psychiatric patients. Contributors explore the roles of genes in mental illness and describe various clinical, ethical, and social implications of psychiatric genetics. Additional discussions include trends in psychiatric genetic research, nature versus nurture in behavioral genetics, basic statistical principles of linkage analysis, and the many social domains relevant to psychiatric genetics.

Psychiatrists and other mental health professionals are increasingly confronted with questions about the genetics of psychiatric illness, and the clinical applications of new genetic findings. Psychiatric Genetics: A Primer for Clinical and Basic Scientists addresses these questions through a straightforward introduction to the essentials of psychiatric genetics, complementing more comprehensive textbooks that may seem overwhelming for those new to the field. Written and edited by leaders in the field and the International Society of Psychiatric Genetics (ISPG), the book covers basic epidemiology, recruitment for human studies, phenotyping strategies, formal genetic and molecular genetic studies, statistical genetics, bioinformatics and genomics, pharmacogenetics, the most relevant animal models, and biobanking. Each chapter begins with a list of take home points that summarizes content, followed by a brief overview of current knowledge and suggestions for further reading. This Primer is ideal for medical students, psychiatric residents, psychiatrists, and basic neuroscience researchers who are interested in learning about the key concepts and recent advances in the exciting field of psychiatric genetics.

The book covers important topics in the psychiatric genetics (PG) field. Many of these have been overlooked in mainstream accounts, and many contemporary PG researchers have omitted or whitewashed the eugenic and “racial hygiene” origins of the field. The author critically analyzes PG evidence in support of genetic claims which, given the lack of gene discoveries, are based mainly on the results of psychiatric twin and adoption studies. Given that the evidence in favor of genetic influences is much weaker than mainstream sources report, due to serious issues in twin and adoption research, the author points to environmental factors, including trauma, as the main causes of conditions such as schizophrenia.