Interdisciplinary Approach to Maximize Adolescent Potential: Genetic Counselling Interventions to Reduce Negative Environmental Effects

Status: Recruiting
Location: See location...
Intervention Type: Behavioral
Study Type: Interventional
Study Phase: Not Applicable
SUMMARY

Severe mental illness (SMI) refers to the most burdensome psychiatric conditions. The need to pre-empt the onset of SMI is pressing because once SMI develops, quality of life is poor and available treatments have limited efficacy. Most risk factors for SMI are either unchangeable (e.g., genetics) or difficult to alter (e.g., low socio-economic status). In contrast, cannabis use is one specific risk factor that could be avoided. Certain individuals are more vulnerable to the harmful effects of cannabis. Genetic factors can help us identify these high-risk individuals. One in three individuals are carriers of a higher-risk genetic variant, and cannabis users with this genotype are at up to 7-fold increased risk of developing schizophrenia. In our study, genetic counselling will be provided to participants by a board-certified genetic counsellor. During the genetic counselling session, participants will have the option to receive their genotype. Participants will be counselled regarding their individualized risk of developing and of not developing SMI based on family history, whether or not they choose to use cannabis, and genotype (if the participants accept the genetic test results). The investigators hypothesize that this intervention will reduce exposure to cannabis compared to the youth who are not offered the intervention.

Eligibility
Participation Requirements
Sex: All
Minimum Age: 12
Maximum Age: 21
Healthy Volunteers: f
View:

• Enrolment in the Families Overcoming Risks and Building Opportunities for Well-being (FORBOW) study.

• Age between 12 and 21 years.

• Knowledge of English sufficient to benefit from the intervention.

• Capacity to provide informed consent at most recent FORBOW assessment.

• Provision of consent to be contacted about future studies at most recent FORBOW assessment.

Locations
Other Locations
Canada
Nova Scotia Health Authority
RECRUITING
Halifax
Contact Information
Primary
Rudolf Uher, MD, PhD
uher@dal.ca
902-473-7209
Backup
Jill M Cumby, RN, MN
Jill.Cumby@nshealth.ca
902-473-1781
Time Frame
Start Date: 2019-11-01
Estimated Completion Date: 2027-09-01
Participants
Target number of participants: 120
Treatments
Experimental: Genetic counselling
Eligible participants who are randomized will be contacted and offered an invitation to attend the intervention. Genetic counselling will be provided to participants who accept the intervention as a single 1-2 hour session by a board-certified genetic counsellor. During the genetic counselling session, participants will have the option to receive their genotype at rs2494732. Participants will be counselled regarding their individualized risk of developing and of NOT developing SMI based on family history, whether or not they choose to use cannabis, and genotype (if they accept the genetic test results). Approximately 1 month after the intervention, participants will receive a follow-up interview.
No_intervention: Control group
Eligible participants who are not randomized to be offered the intervention will continue with their annual assessments as part of the parent study. These participants will receive the current standard of care (no intervention), and will not be offered or informed of the intervention.
Related Therapeutic Areas
Sponsors
Leads: Nova Scotia Health Authority

This content was sourced from clinicaltrials.gov