Comprehensive Psychiatry
Volume 46, Issue 1 , Pages 27-33, January 2005

Employees' perspectives on ethically important aspects of genetic research participation: a pilot study

  • Laura Weiss Roberts

      Affiliations

    • Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Tel.: +1 414 456 8990; fax: +1 414 456 6299.
    • ,
  • Teddy D. Warner

      Affiliations

    • Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, NM 87131, USA
    • ,
  • Cynthia M.A. Geppert

      Affiliations

    • University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Institute for Ethics, NM 87131, USA
    • ,
  • Melinda Rogers

      Affiliations

    • Healthcare for Homeless, Albuquerque, NM 87125, USA
    • ,
  • Katherine A. Green Hammond

      Affiliations

    • Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, NM 87131, USA

Abstract 

Purpose

Insights from genetic research may greatly improve our understanding of physical and mental illnesses and assist in the prevention of disease. Early experience with genetic information suggests that it may lead to stigma, discrimination, and other psychosocial harms, however, and this may be particularly salient in some settings, such as the workplace. Despite the importance of these issues, little is known about how healthy adults, including workers, perceive and understand ethically important issues in genetic research pertaining to physical and mental illness.

Method

We developed, pilot tested, and administered a written survey and structured interview to 63 healthy working adults in 2 settings. For this paper, we analyzed a subset of items that assessed attitudes toward ethically relevant issues related to participation in genetic research on physical and mental illness, such as its perceived importance, its acceptability for various populations, and appropriate motivations for participation.

Results

Our respondents strongly endorsed the importance of physical and mental illness genetic research. They viewed participation as somewhat to very acceptable for all 12 special population groups we asked about, including persons with mental illness. They perceived more positives than negatives in genetic research participation, giving neutral responses regarding potential risks. They affirmed many motivations for participation to varying degrees. Men tended to affirm genetic research participation importance, acceptability, and motivations more strongly than women.

Conclusion

Healthy working persons may be willing partners in genetic research related to physical and mental illnesses in coming years. This project suggests the feasibility and value of evidence-based ethics inquiry, although further study is necessary. Evidence regarding stakeholders' perspectives on ethically important issues in science may help in the development of research practices and policy.

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PII: S0010-440X(04)00109-9

doi:10.1016/j.comppsych.2004.07.021

Comprehensive Psychiatry
Volume 46, Issue 1 , Pages 27-33, January 2005

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