OBJECTIVE: To investigate childhood experiences and psychological 
characteristics in offspring of a parent with genetic disease.
METHOD: Self-report scales were used to assess adverse childhood experiences 
(ACEs), adult attachment style, mental health, and psychological symptomatology 
in offspring of a parent with a neurogenetic disorder (i.e. Huntington's 
Disease, HD; Cerebral Autosomal Dominant Arteriopathy with Subcortical Infarcts 
and Leukoencephalopathy, CADASIL; and Hereditary Cerebral Hemorrhage With 
Amyloidosis-Dutch type, HCHWA-D), and in offspring of a parent affected with 
Hereditary Breast/Ovarian Cancer (HBOC). These groups were compared to persons 
who did not have a parent with one of these genetic diseases. Associations 
between childhood experiences and adult psychological characteristics were 
investigated.
RESULTS: Compared with the reference group (n = 127), offspring of a parent with 
a neurogenetic disorder (n = 96) reported more parental dysfunction in 
childhood, and showed more adult attachment anxiety and poorer mental health. 
Offspring of a parent with HBOC (n = 70) reported more parental loss in 
childhood and showed poorer mental health. Offspring who experienced parental 
genetic disease in childhood had more attachment anxiety than offspring who 
experienced parental disease later in life. In the group of offspring, a higher 
number of ACEs was associated with poorer mental health and more psychological 
symptomatology.
CONCLUSIONS: This cross-sectional study indicates that adult offspring of a 
parent with genetic disease may differ in attachment style and mental health 
from persons without one of these genetic diseases in their family, and that 
this may be related to adverse childhood experiences.