Testing Positive for a Genetic Predisposition to Depression Magnifies Retrospective Memory for Depressive Symptoms

Objective: Depression, like other mental disorders and health conditions generally, is increasingly construed as genetically based. This research sought to determine whether merely telling people that they have a genetic predisposition to depression can cause them to retroactively remember having ex...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of consulting and clinical psychology 2017-11, Vol.85 (11), p.1052-1063
Main Authors: Lebowitz, Matthew S, Ahn, Woo-kyoung
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Depression - genetics
Depression - psychology
Depressive Disorder - genetics
Depressive Disorder - psychology
Diagnostic tests
Feedback
Female
Genes
Genetic Predisposition to Disease
Genetic susceptibility
Genetic testing
Genetics
Human
Humans
Liability
Major Depression
Male
Medical diagnosis
Medical research
Memory - physiology
Mental depression
Mental disorders
Mental Health
Middle Aged
Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
Retrospective Memory
Retrospective Studies
Self Report
Susceptibility
Symptoms
Young Adult
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Summary:Objective: Depression, like other mental disorders and health conditions generally, is increasingly construed as genetically based. This research sought to determine whether merely telling people that they have a genetic predisposition to depression can cause them to retroactively remember having experienced it. Method: U.S. adults (men and women) were recruited online to participate (Experiment 1: N = 288; Experiment 2: N = 599). After conducting a test disguised as genetic screening, we randomly assigned some participants to be told that they carried elevated genetic susceptibility to depression, whereas others were told that they did not carry this genetic liability or were told that they carried elevated susceptibility to a different disorder. Participants then rated their experience of depressive symptoms over the prior 2 weeks on a modified version of the Beck Depression Inventory-II. Results: Participants who were told that their genes predisposed them to depression generally reported higher levels of depressive symptomatology over the previous 2 weeks, compared to those who did not receive this feedback. Conclusions: Given the central role of self-report in psychiatric diagnosis, these findings highlight potentially harmful consequences of personalized genetic testing in mental health. What is the public health significance of this article? This research suggests that personalized information about genetic susceptibility to depression can distort people's recollections of having experienced depressive symptoms. This could have significant clinical implications, because currently depressive disorders (and other psychiatric disorders) are mainly diagnosed based on people's recollections of experiencing symptoms.
ISSN:0022-006X
1939-2117
DOI:10.1037/ccp0000254