In 1992, researchers predicted that it would soon be possible to identify people who carry the gene for chronic degenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease and Huntington's disease, or even certain types of cancer. No one believed that genetic research would tell when people would develop this disease, but they were sure that one day we could genetically identify the people who got them. However, in 1992, no one was able to say who would develop one of these terrible diseases. So there was no research on the effects of predictive genetic testing on people's emotions and well-being. No one can say whether predictive testing would be beneficial or harmful. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”?Get the original essay In 1988, researchers from Canada launched the Canadian Collaborative Study on Predictive Testing. Its goal was to study patients who had been told they were at higher than normal risk of contracting Huntington's disease. The researchers wanted to identify short- and long-term psychological effects and whether they were positive or negative. Huntington's disease is genetic. It is an autosomal dominant disorder, meaning a person must inherit a faulty gene in order to develop it. A person with a family history of Huntington's disease has a 50% chance of inheriting it. For this study, 208 people with a family history of Huntington's disease volunteered to participate, but only 135 were included. All participants were genetically tested and then divided into one of three groups. Those who did not want to know the test results were assigned to the control group. Those who wanted to know and learned they were at high risk were assigned to the second group, and those who wanted to know and learned they were at low risk of contracting the disease were assigned to the third. All participants had to pass a battery of tests. The tests were the Beck Depression Inventory, the General Well-Being Scale, and the General Severity Index of the 90-R Symptom Checklist. The tests were readministered seven to ten days after being informed of the risk, then again at six months and 12 months. Not surprisingly, the study found that people at low risk had the lowest levels of depression and anxiety. But the study also found that people who didn't want to know their test results suffered the greatest deterioration in their emotional well-being. Their condition deteriorated even more than that of people who were told they were at high risk. Apparently, not knowing was worse than knowing. The uncertainty has made their lives worse. In contrast, those who were told their risk was high were able to plan and take control of their lives. They felt like their destiny was in their hands. The most important conclusion of this study is that the predictive tests did not have the harmful effects anticipated by the researchers. At first, there was a slight increase in depression and anxiety, but by day seven their depression and anxiety levels were decreasing on average, and although they never reached the same low level as the group without risk, they were significantly lower. below the levels of those who preferred to remain in ignorance. However, it would be erroneous to conclude from this study that there is no effect..