IMPROVING KNOWLEDGE, EVALUATING OPINIONS, AND ASCERTAINING THEACCEPTANCE OF GENETIC COUNSELING FOR BIPOLAR DISORDER:ANALYSIS OF RESPONSES IN THE UNITED STATES AND INDIA.

Bipolar disorder (BPD) is a serious mood disorder that affects about 1% of the population of the United States. Twin, family, and adoption studies have shown evidence for a genetic component of BPD, but monozygotic twin concordance is less than one, indicating that BPD is a multifactorialdisorder. First-degree relatives of an individual with BPD have approximately a 5-30% risk of developing BPD because of shared genes and environment. No strong susceptibility loci for BPD have been located, although some areas of interest are currently being evaluated. With increasing genetic information, demand for genetic counseling for BPD and other psychiatric disorders are increasing. This study used anonymous surveys for individuals with BPD and their first-degree relatives to assess knowledge, opinions, and acceptance of genetic counseling. The Health Belief Model was used to assess current health beliefs relating to BPD. Additionally, using a brief educational session, the effect of education on knowledge and health beliefs was assessed. A similar study was conducted by Dr. Triptish Bhatia in India and she has provided her unpublished results so that they could be included in this document for comparative purposes. Data show that the perceived severity of BPD and perceived barriers of testing were high in both populations. Data show that the perceived susceptibility, benefit, and knowledge of BPD in affected individuals were higher in the US population than in the Indian population. Ascertainment criteria and the evaluation procedures for the samples were different in both countries and they cannot be considered to be representative of the respective 'populations'. Results from this study can be applied to the creation of public health programs in which clients can learn more about their condition, how BPD is related to genomics and what the risk is to their offspring