Contrasting Portrayal of Psychiatric Genomics in Indian Print News Media

Social representations in health have several consequences in influencing attitudes and behaviours, and are important factors in concepts such as health literacy and stigma. We examined how the Indian print news media portray psychiatric genomics using a mixed-method approach of content analysis. The sanguine picture of the optimism portrayed might represent an unjustified hyping in the worst cases. There was a gap between optimism showcased in the ‘predicted quality of life’ and the voices heard in the newspapers to corroborate the same. The prevalence of anti-stigmatizing themes hinted towards a progressive approach being disseminated to the readers. There is a visible interest in personalized medicine. The curve of psychiatric genomics leans towards precision medicine in the articles based on the themes analysed and ‘pharmacogenomic testing’ being mentioned. However, whether or not it will be marred by contrasting research studies and artistic depiction in movies is something to look forward to. It is reasonable to assume that a certain amount of skepticism and apprehension would be a possible reaction for those who read contradictory views about the field. This paves the way for future studies to understand public perception on this topic.