An Integrated Model of Emotions, Attitudes, and Intentions Associated With Undergoing Autism Genetic Testing

Abstract

Introduction: With increasing availability of genetic testing for various disorders, individuals and family members at risk are facing more decisions regarding current and emerging tests. However, no study has examined psychological determinants associated with decisions to undergo genetic testing for Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). The purpose of this study is to propose an integrated theoretical model for undergoing ASD genetic testing and examine psychological factors, attitudes and intention regarding autism genetic testing.

Method: A theoretical framework specifically designed to explain emotional factors that may influence parents’ decisions to undergo autism genetic testing is proposed, which contains three key constructs, i.e., affect-type variables, attitudes and intention. Using a sample of parents with autistic children in Taiwan (N=444), we conduct a two-step Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) analysis to assess whether the data supported the hypothesized model.
Results: The greater genetic test-related anxiety parents have, the more likely they might want to take their children to undergo the test. Similarly, the more fear or guilt parents have, the less likely they would warrant the test. Attitude does not predict parents’ intention in this study. Conclusions: Our proposed model and findings from this study provided support to the need of pre-test counseling and genetic education among ASD – affected populations in Taiwan. It is imperative to build empathetic, caring, trusting professional relationships and consider emotional factors when performing genetic counseling among parents of children with ASD.