Genetic testing in intellectual disability psychiatry: Opinions and practices of UK child and intellectual disability psychiatrists.
Kate Wolfe, Kerstin Stueber, Andrew McQuillin and 5 others
PMID 28833975WHAT IT FOUND
Most UK child and intellectual disability psychiatrists already order genetic tests or refer, but child psychiatrists reported less confidence than intellectual disability psychiatrists; only 14% had used speech and language therapist help when communicating results.
Key findings
01Most of each group had ordered a genetic test or referred to clinical genetics (90% intellectual disability psychiatrists, 68% child psychiatrists).
02Child psychiatrists had lower overall confidence than intellectual disability psychiatrists (mean score 22.1 versus 27.4).
03When feeding back genetic results, 14% of respondents had received speech and language therapist input, and 67% had used none of the listed aids.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The survey was self-reported, so psychiatrists' estimates and reported practices may not be accurate. Respondents chose whether to answer, so those with strong views about genetics may have been more likely to take part. It only surveyed UK child and intellectual disability psychiatrists, so it does not describe other countries or other health professionals. Because answers were not forced, some analyses used fewer than the 215 respondents. The study reports opinions and practices, not patient outcomes, so it cannot show that genetic testing changes care for the better. Many comparisons were made, so some borderline differences may not be reliable.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as evidence that genetic testing improves care. It only reports psychiatrists' opinions and self-reported practice, and only 11% of intellectual disability psychiatrists and 12% of child psychiatrists agreed they had seen frequent management changes after a genetic diagnosis.