Am J Psychiatry 1978; 135:1101-1102
Copyright © 1978 by American Psychiatric Association
Psychosocial aspects of a Tay-Sachs screening clinic
G Schneiderman, JA Lowden and Q Rae-Grant
The authors administered questionnaires to participants in a Tay-Sachs
screening clinic. They received 322 responses. Although the majority of the
respondents expressed anxiety about the possibility that they might be
carriers, most indicated that this anxiety brought them to the clinic. The
authors conclude that a well-publicized and well-organized screening clinic
can function successfully and deal with the issue of anticipated loss
without producing mass fear. An important factor in their clinic was the
fact that they were able to offer an alternative to a Tay-Sachs child
through amniocentesis.
