| THE MISSING GENE: Psychiatry, Heredity, and the Fruitless Search for Genes |
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THE MISSING GENE:
Dear
Friends and Colleagues, –-Jay Joseph, Psy.D.
This timely, challenging book provides a much-needed critical appraisal of the evidence cited in support of genetic theories of psychiatric disorders, which hold that these disorders are caused by an inherited genetic predisposition in combination with environmental agents or events. In fact, the field of psychiatric genetics is approaching the crisis stage due to the continuing failure, despite years of concerted worldwide efforts, to identify genes presumed to underlie most mental disorders. The belief that such genes exist is based on studies of families, twins, and adoptees. However, the author shows that these studies provide little if any scientifically acceptable evidence in support of genetics. Moreover it is not true, as is frequently reported in the popular media, that genes for the major psychiatric disorders have already been discovered. In fact, researchers’ initial “discoveries” are rarely replicated. As this becomes more understood, and as fruitless gene finding efforts continue to pile up, we may well be headed towards a paradigm shift in psychiatry away from genetic and biological explanations of mental disorders, and towards a greater understanding of how family, social, and political environments contribute to human psychological distress. Indeed, Kenneth Kendler, a leading twin researcher and psychiatric geneticist for over two decades, wrote in a 2005 edition of The American Journal of Psychiatry that the “strong, clear, and direct causal relationship implied by the concept of ‘a gene for …’ does not exist for psychiatric disorders. Although we may wish it to be true, we do not have and are not likely to ever discover ‘genes for’ psychiatric illness.” And Peter Propping, recipient of the 2004 Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Society of Psychiatric Genetics, wrote in 2005 as follows: “Whereas genetically complex traits are being successfully pinned down to the molecular level in other fields of medicine, psychiatric genetics still awaits a major breakthrough.” The author devotes individual chapters to ADHD, autism, and bipolar disorder, where he argues that, contrary to frequent claims that they are “heavily genetically influenced,” there exists little evidence supporting a genetic foundation for these diagnoses. Looking specifically at autism, despite the near-unanimous opinion that it has an important genetic component, the evidence cited in support of this position is stunningly weak. It consists mainly of family studies, which cannot disentangle the potential influences of genes and environment, and four small methodologically flawed twin studies whose results can be explained by non-genetic factors. Not surprisingly, then, years of efforts to find “autism genes” have come up empty. The Missing Gene is an important book because theories based on genetic research are having a profound impact on both scientific and public thinking, as well as on social policy decisions. In addition, genetic theories influence the types of clinical treatments received by people diagnosed with psychiatric disorders. Yet, as the author demonstrates, these theories do not stand up to critical examination.
Like the author’s previous work, The
Gene Illusion: Genetic Research in
Psychiatry and Psychology Under the Microscope (Amazon.com,
Barnes
& Noble.com, UK Edition at PCCS Books), this will be a controversial book,
and is sure to spark intense discussion among people interested in the causes
of psychiatric disorders. As in The Gene Illusion, the author challenges many
positions viewed by mainstream psychiatry and psychology as established facts.
In the process, he shows that textbooks and other authoritative sources
sometimes provide misleading or inaccurate accounts of research put forward as
supporting the genetic position. The
author concludes that it is unlikely that faulty genes contribute to the
appearance of the major psychiatric disorders. Rather, the likely causes are
well-known and well-documented psychologically harmful events and environments.
An exception may be autism, where there is some evidence that non-genetic
biological factors play a role.
Table of Contents Chapter 1) Introduction. The Twin Method: Science or Pseudoscience? Chapter 2) ADHD Genetic Research: Activity
Deserving of Attention, or Studies Disordered by Deficits? Chapter 6) Irving Gottesman’s Schizophrenia Genesis: A Primary Source
for Misunderstanding the Genetics
of Schizophrenia. Chapter 9) The Twin Method’s Achilles Heel: A Critical Review of the Equal Environment Assumption Test Literature. Chapter 10) Bipolar Disorder and Genetics. Chapter 11) Genotype
or Genohype? The Fruitless Search for
Genes in Psychiatry. Contact Information:
Publisher: Algora Publishing. Website: www.algora.com. E-mail: editors@algora.com. Author: Jay Joseph, Psy.D., P.O. Box 5653, Berkeley, CA, 94705-5653, USA. E-mail: jayjoseph2@aol.com. Website: www.jayjoseph.net. Ordering: Bookstores and other retailers can order The Missing Gene from Ingram other major North American distributors.
Jay Joseph, Psy.D., is a licensed psychologist practicing in
the San Francisco Bay Area. Since 1998, he has published many articles focusing
on genetic theories in psychiatry and psychology. He is currently an Associate
Editor of Ethical Human Psychology and Psychiatry, and an
Assessing Editor of The Journal of Mind and Behavior. His first
book, The Gene Illusion: Genetic Research in Psychiatry and Psychology Under
the Microscope, was published in
2003 in the United Kingdom
by PCCS Books, followed by a 2004 North American edition published by Algora.
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