Fifty years of the double helix and its impact on psychiatry.

OBJECTIVE

To discuss the impact of Watson and Crick's double helix discovery on the field of psychiatry.

METHOD

Psychiatric research studies using molecular genetic techniques are summarized. The implications of these findings in terms of our understanding and treatment of mental illness are discussed.

RESULTS

There now exists growing evidence of candidate gene sites for a variety of psychiatric disorders ranging from schizophrenia to reading disability.

CONCLUSIONS

The field of psychiatric genetics has become one of the most vital and productive areas of psychiatric research. New findings are continually coming to light, bringing us ever closer to understanding these complex disorders at a molecular level. Such knowledge could lead to improved drug treatments, screening of at-risk individuals and even a reduction in the stigma attached to psychiatric disorders.