A new paper examines whether advances in psychiatric genetics are closer to real-world impact than many assume

Over the past decade, psychiatric genetics has made remarkable progress. Large-scale studies have identified thousands of genetic variants associated with mental health and substance use outcomes, which can be summed up to create polygenic scores (PGS) that represent an individual’s propensity towards developing a particular outcome. The ability to create robust PGS allows for a provocative clinical possibility – that we can use genetic information to prevent problems before they start.

 But a critical question remains: when are these discoveries ready to be used in real-world clinical care?

 In a new paper, Danielle M. Dick, Director of the Rutgers Addiction Research Center within the Brain Health Institute and Professor of Psychiatry at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, examines the current state of polygenic scores (PGS) for psychiatric and substance use outcomes and evaluates their readiness for clinical application.

The paper highlights that, by many existing standards used in other areas of medicine, psychiatric PGS are already comparable to tools being studied or used in clinical contexts for conditions like cardiovascular disease and cancer.

 Rather than asking whether PGS are “ready” for clinical application, the Rutgers Addiction Research Center Director argues that the field needs to shift toward a more practical question: under what conditions, and for which purposes, can these tools improve care?

 The paper outlines key next steps, including evaluating clinical utility—whether PGS meaningfully change patient or provider behavior—and addressing ethical considerations such as  ensuring genetic information does not promote misunderstanding or stigma.

 Ultimately, the paper calls for a transition from discovery to translation. Dick argues that if genetic research is to fulfill its promise of improving prevention and treatment, it will require new collaborations, new study designs, and a sustained focus on how these tools can be used responsibly in real-world settings.

Read the full paper: https://journals.lww.com/psychgenetics/fulltext/9900/are_polygenic_scores_for_psychiatric_and_substance.95.aspx