Authors: Valerie Saunders
Aim: To assess current research method competence into studies about genetic cause of schizophrenia and appraise consequences.
Methods: Literature obtained through Google search, PubMed and PLoS search as well as references from recent publications.
Results: There are currently three approaches to investigating genetic cause of schizophrenia (twin and adoption studies, individual gene studies and genome wide association studies) and all approached were investigated. In all cases research integrity was compromised by irrational beliefs and incompetent research methodology. Researchers adhered to the fashionable prevailing opinion that genes are causative and distorted findings to concur in spite of no genuine evidence of genetic causation regardless of approach, albeit some more recent studies have begun to challenge this assumption. Research methods are badly taught. Much research money has been wasted. Psychiatry as a discipline needs to change paradigms and modernise. Studies about environmental cause are ignored. Studies by geneticists that demonstrate it is not possible for genes to be causative are ignored.
Clinical implications: Unfounded beliefs ensure genuine cause is not being addressed thereby preventing insight and understanding by practitioners, implementing prevention strategies or development of more effective treatment. Many sufferers do not receive appropriate treatment thereby preventing recovery
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