Psychological correlates of interest in genetic testing among Korean American adoptees and their parents

Cai, Jieyi; Kim, Adam Y.

doi:10.1002/jgc4.1237

Cited by 7 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…It is perhaps unsurprising that DTC-GAT would come up in the clinical setting such as within the scope of psychotherapy. Indeed, it is natural for people to want to search for and understand their origins [2,3], and in today's world of technology and connectivity, individuals have turned to available information-gathering resources such as DTC-GAT and companies' online social network platforms to do so [3]. Unfortunately, for clinicians who seek to provide guidance to patients on the topic of DTC-GAT, including risks and benefits, little evidence-based guidance is available.…”

Section: Implications For Patients and Cliniciansmentioning

confidence: 99%

Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Ancestry Testing in Clinical Encounters: Perspectives From Psychotherapy Cases (Preprint)

Rubanovich¹,

Zhang²,

Bloss³

2020

Preprint

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UNSTRUCTURED Despite the fact that direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic ancestry testing (GAT) has been available for two decades, there is a lack of evidence-based guidance for clinicians who may work with patients who raise the topic of DTC-GAT. Although DTC-GAT represents the majority of the DTC genetic testing marketplace, it has received less attention than health-related testing from scientific and clinical communities. Importantly, however, from our personal experience, patients have been raising the topic of DTC-GAT in clinical encounters, including psychotherapy sessions, as we describe. In this commentary, we present two patient cases seen by two of the authors. We present these cases in order to raise awareness of this issue, and we describe implications for patients and clinicians and offer recommendations and suggest future directions.

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Section: Implications For Patients and Cliniciansmentioning

confidence: 99%

Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Ancestry Testing in Clinical Encounters: Perspectives From Psychotherapy Cases (Preprint)

Rubanovich¹,

Zhang²,

Bloss³

2020

Preprint

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“…Premised on the desire to make sense of oneself as a fundamental motive (Eisenberg, 2001; Gardner & Garr‐Schultz, 2017; Lecky, 1945; Pennebaker & Susman, 1988), and uncovering family secrets through DTC genetic testing as a means of doing so, we hypothesized that pursuing testing in order to uncover family secrets would be more likely among those with lower SCC. Although SCC has yet to be examined in the context of DTC genetic testing, identity‐related motivations are frequently cited among individuals who pursue testing (Cai et al, 2020; Newton et al, 2022; Roth & Ivemark, 2018; Su et al, 2011). As such we expected that lower SCC may contribute to greater intent to pursue DTC genetic testing for the purpose of uncovering family secrets.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Searching for secrets, searching for self: Childhood adversity, self‐concept clarity, and the motivation to uncover family secrets through direct‐to‐consumer genetic testing

Morstead

DeLongis

2023

Journal of Genetic Counseling

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Direct‐to‐consumer (DTC) genetic tests have become an attractive product for those hoping to gain insight into their health, ancestry, and biological relatedness. In some cases, test results are unexpected, and lead to the revelation of previously undisclosed family secrets. A subset of individuals may pursue testing explicitly for this purpose; however, the psychosocial processes underlying this motivation remain unexamined. Grounded in the literature on family secrecy, trauma, and the development of self‐concept, we tested a hypothesized mediation model to provide insight into this motivation among a sample of 433 individuals in pursuit of DTC genetic testing. In line with the documented association between maladaptive family communication patterns and trauma exposure in childhood, we found that exposure to adverse childhood experiences was associated with the motivation to pursue DTC genetic testing for the purpose of uncovering family secrets. We also found evidence of an indirect effect through reduced self‐concept clarity. These findings suggest that impaired identity formation processes may have played a role in transmitting the effect. Furthermore, the findings highlight a novel way in which family histories may contribute to DTC genetic testing motivations. Future examination of these and other psychosocial phenomena that contribute to DTC genetic testing will be crucial to consider as the tests become increasingly accessible, and as the information they can provide becomes increasingly comprehensive. Findings from this line of research could help to identify for whom and under what conditions DTC genetic testing benefits well‐being, and the conditions under which the act of testing and receipt of results could have adverse psychosocial effects. These insights will be of interest to genetic counselors working in the field of DTC genetic testing, and those working with individuals and families affected by unexpected test results.

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“…Although several studies have investigated public attitudes toward DTC-GT, these inquires tended to focus on health-related information, addressing ancestry and kinship only in passing [ 23 – 28 ]. A small number of studies have examined the reactions of people who have undergone DTC-GT and received information about ancestry or biological relatives [ 27 – 29 ], including a few focusing on the experience of adoptees [ 30 ]. But there remains a lack of data on perspectives and attitudes among the public more generally, their interest (or lack thereof) in such testing, and what people think these results would mean for themselves and their families [ 5 , 31 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Direct-to-consumer genetic testing: Prospective users’ attitudes toward information about ancestry and biological relationships

et al. 2021

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Direct-to-consumer genetic testing is marketed as a tool to uncover ancestry and kin. Recent studies of actual and potential users have demonstrated that individuals’ responses to the use of these tests for these purposes are complex, with privacy, disruptive consequences, potential for misuse, and secondary use by law enforcement cited as potential concerns. We conducted six focus groups with a diverse sample of participants (n = 62) who were aware of but had not used direct-to-consumer genetic tests, in an effort to understand more about what people considering these tests think about the potential value, risks, and benefits of such testing, taking into account use by third parties, such as potential kin and law enforcement. Participants differed widely in the perceived value of direct-to-consumer genetic tests for ancestry and kinship information for their own lives, including the desirability of contact with previously unknown relatives. Some perceived ancestry testing as mere curiosity or entertainment, while others, particularly those who had gaps in their family history, few living relatives, or who were adopted, saw greater value. Concerns about intrusion into one’s life by purported kin and control of data were widespread, with many participants expressing concern about secondary uses of data that could harm users or their families. The use of direct-to-consumer genetic tests data for forensic genealogy elicited a particularly wide array of reactions, both spontaneously and in response to specific discussion prompts, mirroring the current public debate about law enforcement access to such data. The themes uncovered through our investigation warrant specific attention in the continued development of the science, policy, and practice of commercial direct-to-consumer genetic testing.

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Psychological correlates of interest in genetic testing among Korean American adoptees and their parents

Cited by 7 publications

References 42 publications

Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Ancestry Testing in Clinical Encounters: Perspectives From Psychotherapy Cases (Preprint)

Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Ancestry Testing in Clinical Encounters: Perspectives From Psychotherapy Cases (Preprint)

Searching for secrets, searching for self: Childhood adversity, self‐concept clarity, and the motivation to uncover family secrets through direct‐to‐consumer genetic testing

Direct-to-consumer genetic testing: Prospective users’ attitudes toward information about ancestry and biological relationships

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