1. Read the following: Psychological Disorders: Schizophrenia - serious mental disorder involving disturbed thinking, emotions, and social behavior. Genes may contribute substantially to development of the disorder. Average concordance rate for identical twins 48%, rate for fraternal twins is 17%. Adopted children with biological parent with schizophrenia are at risk for developing the disorder. 1% of people in general population have schizophrenia; 10% of children who have a schizophrenic parents will become schizophrenic; 90% of children with a schizophrenic parent do not develop schizophrenia. Individuals not inherit the disorder, but rather the predisposition to develop the disorder. Actual development depends on combination of genetics and environmental stress (e.g., dysfunctional family). Genetically at-risk infants who came down with an infectious disease like the flu while mothers were pregnant are at increased risk to develop schizophrenia. Infants deprived of oxygen at birth are at risk to develop schizophrenia. Adopted children with biological parent who is schizophrenic are more likely to develop the disorder if they grow up in a dysfunctional adoptive home.
2. Based on your notes and the statistics above answer the following question:Ayaan's biological mother had schizophrenia, so he was placed in an adoptive home when he was only 2 months old. He grew up with his adoptive parents (neither of whom had any psychological disorders) in a stable, loving family. What would you tell Ayaan, now age 18, about his chances of developing schizophrenia if you were a genetic counselor?