DNA Polymorphisms in Mental Illness (DPIM)
Calling for participants until
Participant type
Key Documents
Overview
The research project is trying to find out the genetic and other causes of mental illness. We intend to study the DNA in your blood or saliva sample for genetic causes of mental illness.
Summary
What is the study about?
DNA is the genetic material that determines how proteins are made in the body and is the material passed on from parents to children determining inherited traits such as eye colour and hair colour. DNA is a long chain of chemicals which can change in sequence.
A DNA 'polymorphism' or mutation is a variation in the DNA chemical sequence that someone has inherited from their parents or has occurred spontaneously. These variations may influence the way the DNA affects the body such as increasing the risk for a disease.
What are you trying to find out?
The research project is trying to find out the genetic and other causes of mental illness. We intend to study blood and saliva samples for immune and any other causes of mental illness and to study the DNA in your samples for genetic causes of mental illness.
Who is it for?
We are inviting people who:
- are over the age of 18
- have a clinical diagnosis of bipolar disorder, schizophrenia or alcohol dependence syndrome
We are also inviting some relatives over the age of 18 of people with these diagnoses.
We hope to recruit approximately 10,000 participants in total.
What does taking part involve?
You can find out more information about taking part in this study by downloading the key documents at the top of this page.
A single blood sample of up to 30 millilitres (mls) (3 tubes) or a saliva sample of approximately 4 mls (1 teaspoon) is taken.
The consent form can be obtained either in person or online by teleconference via NHS trust approved conference platforms.
The information on your family, medical and psychiatric history will be obtained from your hospital case notes or from general practitioner records and from a short interview, if needed. We will contact a member of your clinical team and tell them in confidence that you have agreed to participate.
We may also send you an invitation letter to participate in further research such as a survey or online cognitive tasks. The survey can be answered online, by post or by phone and will entail a short questionnaire on your current and past history of attention, and concentration.
A very small proportion of the people who have donated blood or saliva and may later be asked to volunteer for further research such as a family study in their relatives or an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan.
Why is it important?
The research project is trying to find out the genetic and other causes of mental illness.
The samples and information will be available for any research question, such as research to understand what causes certain diseases (for example heart disease, cancer, or psychiatric disorders), development of new scientific methods, research into genetic links to behavioural traits, or the study of where different groups of people may have come from.
How can I find out more?
You can find out more information about taking part in this study by downloading the key documents at the top of this page.
If you are interested in taking part in this study, or have questions for the research team, click the button below to email us:
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