Genetic Counselling to Help Prevent Severe Mental Illness in Youth at Risk by Reducing Cannabis Use

What this Trial Is About

Severe mental illness SMI includes serious psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and severe depression, which often begin in adolescence or young adulthood and cause significant challenges in daily functioning. Researchers are studying how genetic counseling might help reduce cannabis use among youth who are at high risk of developing SMI, as cannabis use can increase the risk of psychosis especially in those with certain genetic variants. This study explores whether providing personalized genetic risk information can help prevent the onset of SMI by encouraging healthier choices. Participants in this study are randomly assigned to either receive a single 1-2 hour genetic counseling session with a board-certified counselor or continue with standard care without the intervention. During counseling, participants can choose to learn their specific genetic variant related to cannabis risk and receive personalized advice about how cannabis use may affect their mental health based on their family history and genotype. About one month after counseling, participants have a follow-up interview. Those not offered counseling continue with annual assessments as part of the broader study. Throughout the study, participants provide self-reports of their cannabis use, which are confirmed by testing blood and urine samples for cannabis metabolites. Researchers assess mental health and cannabis use annually to monitor the effects of the counseling intervention. The main measure of success is abstinence from cannabis one month after the intervention. The study aims to understand if genetic counseling can reduce cannabis exposure and help prevent severe mental illness during this critical developmental period.

Genetic Counselling in the Prevention of Mental Health Consequences of Cannabis Use