Sandstrom, A., Sahiti, Q., Pavlova, B., & Uher, R. (2019).

Offspring of parents with

schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression: a review of familial high-risk and
molecular genetics studies. Psychiatric Genetics, 29(5), 160-169.
https://doi.org/10.1097/YPG.0000000000000240

This article, written by authors Andrea Sandstrom, Qendresa Sahiti, Barbara Pavlova, and
Rudolf Uher, discusses genetic studies conducted on children of parents with mental illness. The
article evaluates the risk factors of inheriting a mental illness and determines that the dominant
factor is genetics, or having a parent diagnosed with that specific mental illness. To justify this,
the article describes three “waves'' of genetic studies conducted from the 1950s to the 2000s,
specifically focusing on children of parents with schizophrenia and mood disorders. The findings
were that these children had developed neurological conditions and development disorders
because of their genetics. The article also discusses the environmental factors of gaining a mental
illness and the objectives of current prevention programs that are concentrating on resolving this
issue. In conclusion, this article determines genetics as the primary risk factor of developing a
mental illness and justifies this finding by analyzing genetic studies.

The authors Andrea Sandstrom, Qendresa Sahiti, Barbara Pavlova, and Rudolf Uher, are
qualified to discuss psychiatric genetics because their credentials include Department of
Psychiatry (Dalhousie University), Department of Psychiatry (Nova Scotia Health Authority),
and Department of Psychology & Neuroscience (Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia,
Canada). Rudolf Uher is a correspondent for this article and has a PhD, and his contact
information is included in the article. Written 3 years ago, this source is current on the topic of
mental illness. Even though this is an opinion, the authors still present claims, reasoning, and
evidence to show why that opinion is valid and credible as well as addressing counterclaims and
alternate points of view. For example, the authors reference multiple studies over several decades
and present statistics confirmed by other research journals. The coverage can be considered
broad because it is an extensive overview of psychiatric genetics, which is a field that
specifically discusses the role of genetics in behavioral disorders. The article emphasizes
numerous areas of this field, such as its historical aspect and the role of parents in inheriting a
mental illness. The information contained in the source can be verified elsewhere. For example,
the authors state that hundreds or thousands of genetic variants contribute to a higher risk of
mental illness, which can be corroborated by Rudolf Uher and Alyson Zwicker in their
publication “Etiology in psychiatry: embracing the reality of poly‐gene‐environmental causation
of mental illness,” discussing how mental illness is caused by molecular genetics. The purpose of
this article is to discuss various genetic studies supporting the notion that children with a family
history of mental illness are more susceptible to inheriting that mental illness. The audience are
scientists and psychiatrists investigating the inheritance of mental illness. The article is
appropriate for this purpose and audience because it outlines various genetic studies researching
the genetic and environmental transmission of mental illness and mood disorders. For example,
according to the article, three “waves” of studies were conducted from the 1950s to the last
couple of decades. The findings of these studies asserted that there is indeed a genetic
transmission of mental illness.