Impact of Psychiatric Genetic Data on Civil Litigation and its Relationship with Stigma

 描述(申请人提供)：精神病学遗传学的进步可能会为被诊断为精神障碍或有精神障碍倾向的个人提供重大的诊断和治疗益处，但也会带来法律和社会相关的风险。作为回应，法院和政策制定者必须确保精神病学基因数据被用来促进而不是阻碍平等、正义和社会包容。然而，很少有研究质疑这些数据可能会如何影响司法决策；没有人在有关父母权利、子女教育和侵权行为责任的民事诉讼中探讨这一问题。K01建议研究精神病学基因数据对这三个突出诉讼领域的影响及其与耻辱的关系，以更好地理解精神病学遗传学新发现对法律、社会和个人权利的影响，并在政策制定者制定应对这些进展的对策时告知他们这一知识。这项研究的目的是：1)调查上诉法院对家庭法、教育和侵权行为的判决，以确定法院在多大程度上考虑精神基因数据，以及它们如何在判决中使用这些数据；2)调查关于使用精神基因数据的司法观点，以及这些数据可能如何影响法官和公众对侵权案件中父母能力、教育决定和民事责任的看法；以及3)通过研究这些数据是否影响法官和公众对更广泛的民事法律无行为能力和治疗选择的感知，以及与司法偏见的关系，来评估精神基因数据与污名之间的联系 有精神疾病。对于目标1，我将使用定性法律分析和经验分析的混合方法。对于目标2，我将使用Vignette方法，分3波进行，分别以家庭法院法官、父母和州初审法院法官以及符合陪审团资格的普通民众为样本。对于目标3，我将使用现有的关于精神病学的法律和社会学文献 作为小插曲的一部分，旨在评估精神病学遗传数据、司法判决和污名之间的关系的计算机措施。研究结果将发表在同行评议的医学、心理学和政策期刊上。与这些研究相辅相成的是一项强化培训计划，包括授课课程、量身定制的培训、纽约州立精神病学研究所的临床经验和指导经验。我的主要导师Appelbaum博士、共同导师Link博士和Ottman博士、合作者、生物统计学家Phelan博士、Goldsmith博士和顾问Parens博士将在我达到以下培训目标时培训和监督我的进展：1)发展进行实证研究所需的技能；2)了解精神障碍的临床方面；3)与精神病学、遗传学、社会科学、生物伦理学和法学的学者建立和扩大国内和国际专业合作。这项培训将在R01拨款申请中达到高潮，以进一步研究精神病学基因数据对法律、平等和社会包容的预期和非预期后果。

 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Advances in psychiatric genetics are likely to offer major diagnostic and therapeutic benefits, but also legal and social-related risks, to individuals who were diagnosed with, or have a proclivity for, psychiatric disorders. In response, courts and policy-makers will have to ensure that psychiatric genetic data are used to promote, and not to obstruct, equality, justice, and social inclusion. However, few studies have queried how such data might impact judicial decision-making; none have explored this question in civil proceedings about parental rights, children's education, and responsibility for behavior in tort. This K01 proposes to study the impact of psychiatric genetic data on these 3 prominent areas of litigation and its relationship to stigma to better understand the implications of new discoveries in psychiatric genetics for law, society, and individual rights, and to inform policy-makers about this knowledge as they devise responses to these advances. The study's aims are: 1) To survey appellate court decisions in family law, education, and torts to determine the extent to which courts are considering psychiatric genetic data, and how they use such data in their decisions; 2) To investigate judicial views about the use of psychiatric genetic data and how such data may affect judges' and public perceptions of parental capacity, educational decisions, and civil responsibility for behavior in tort cases; and 3) To assess the association between psychiatric genetic data and stigma by studying if such data affect judges' and public perception of broader civil legal incapacity and treatment options, and the relationship to judicial bias against persons with psychiatric conditions. For Aim 1, I will use a mix of qualitative legal analysis and empirica methods. For Aim 2, I will use a vignette methodology, administered in 3 waves, with samples, respectively, of family court judges, parents, and state trial court judges and the jury-eligible general population. For Aim 3, I will use existing legal and sociological literature on psychiatric related stigma to develop measures of explicit stigma, and a computer-based measure designed to detect implicit bias, administered as part of the vignettes, to assess the relationships among psychiatric genetic data, judicial decisions, and stigma. Findings will be published in peer-reviewed medical, psychological and policy journals. Complementing these studies will be an intensive training program comprised of didactic courses, tailored training, clinical exposure at the NY State Psychiatric Institute, and mentored experience. My primary mentor Dr. Appelbaum, co-mentors Drs. Link and Ottman, collaborator, Dr. Phelan, biostatistician, Dr. Goldsmith, and consultant, Dr. Parens will train and monitor my progress as I attain my training goals to: 1) develop the skills necessary for conducting empirical research; 2) learn about the clinical aspects of psychiatric disorders; and 3) build and expand national and international professional collaborations with scholars in psychiatry, genetics, social sciences, bioethics, and law. This training will culminate in R01 grant submission to further study the intended and unintended consequences of psychiatric genetic data on law, equality, and social inclusion.