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MINI REVIEW article

Front. Genet.
Sec. ELSI in Science and Genetics
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fgene.2024.1444084
This article is part of the Research Topic A Year in Review: Discussions in ELSI in Science and Genetics View all articles

Applying an ELSI Lens to Real-World Data and Novel Genomic Insights for Personalized Mental Health Care

Provisionally accepted
Rachele Hendricks-Sturrup Rachele Hendricks-Sturrup 1*Sandra Yankah Sandra Yankah 1Christine Y. Lu Christine Y. Lu 2,3
  • 1 Margolis Center for Health Policy, Sanford School of Public Policy, Duke University, Durham, United States
  • 2 Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
  • 3 University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Improving the understanding of the complex relationship between genetic predispositions, environmental influences, and sociocultural factors in the development and progression of mental illness is crucial for optimizing treatment efficacy and addressing longstanding health disparities. This paper discusses the ethical, legal, and social implications (ELSI) of recent advancements in biomedical research, particularly in genome-wide association studies (GWAS), phenome-wide association studies (PheWAS), and genome-wide environment interaction studies (GWEIS). Despite recent scientific progresses, challenges such as inadequate study methodology (e.g., correlational studies) and lack of diversity within study samples persist. Recent discoveries of several genetic variants of diseases, could augment and improve, or even challenge, existing understanding of the onset and management of mental illness. Leveraging real-world data (RWD), including electronic health recordsrecord data (EHRs),) focused on social determinant of health alongside biobank data, offers further opportunities to enhance the understanding of gene-environment interactions and inform efforts for reducing disparities in mental health care. Increased knowledge can support timely, holistic, evidence-based, and personalized care. Addressing ELSI considerations and maximizing the use of RWD is essential for advancing ethical and inclusive psychiatric genetics research, ultimately improving patient outcomes and promoting equitable access to evidence-based treatments.

    Keywords: Genetics, environment, personalized medicine, Psychiatry, social determinants of health; real-world data, Real-world evidence

    Received: 05 Jun 2024; Accepted: 26 Jul 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Hendricks-Sturrup, Yankah and Lu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Rachele Hendricks-Sturrup, Margolis Center for Health Policy, Sanford School of Public Policy, Duke University, Durham, United States

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.