Lisa Roberts has raised a family, reached an impressively high level in her career, and been an anchor for her mother and other family members. Suddenly, within a very short period, her brother and son were diagnosed with chronic illness, and her mother passed away after a too-brief illness, leaving her feeling unmoored. She found herself wondering why she was not grieving, and why she was not feeling much at all. She no longer enjoyed her job or even got out of bed in the morning.
"My problems were not going away, and I found myself wishing I could just not be here," said Roberts.
She made an appointment to see Whitnee Brown, a psychiatric nurse practitioner and Doctor of Nursing Practice in nearby Birmingham, Alabama. Dr. Brown worked with Roberts on exercises to help her accept her grief, and they did help. Yet they both acknowledged that Roberts needed more. Together, they agreed to try a medication treatment plan.
"But I was concerned," Roberts noted, "as I did not want to experience side effects; I needed relief."
Roberts is not alone in her trepidation. For many Americans, concerns about potential side effects remain a significant barrier. In fact, despite nearly 9 out of 10 Americans (89%) diagnosed with depression and/or anxiety believing that mental health medications are somewhat or very effective, more than half of those who have never been on mental health medication (52%) say they would not take medication because of possible side effects. That's according to the latest GeneSight® Mental Health Monitor*, a nationwide survey from Myriad Genetics, Inc., a leader in molecular diagnostics testing and precision medicine.
In the survey, a majority of these patients (54%) agree that genetic testing for mental health medications (known as pharmacogenomic or PGx testing) could reduce these concerns.
Whitnee Brown uses just such a tool in her practice. The GeneSight test from Myriad Genetics is a pharmacogenomic test that analyzes how a patient's genes may affect medication outcomes. The GeneSight test looks at clinically important genetic variations in DNA providing results that may inform healthcare providers how a patient may break down or respond to certain medications commonly used for depression, anxiety, ADHD and other psychiatric conditions.
Dr. Brown recommended the GeneSight test for Roberts and used the results, along with her medical history, to help inform her mental heath medication prescription.
"The GeneSight test gives me insights and takes out some of the guesswork associated with prescribing mental health medications."
The GeneSight test includes more than 60 FDA-approved medications commonly prescribed for depression, anxiety, ADHD and other psychiatric conditions. Insights from the test can help your clinician understand if you may need dose adjustments, if certain medications may be less likely to work or if they may have an increased risk of side effects based on your genetics.
Is genetic testing right for you?
Today, Roberts is on a medication that works for her.
"I'm here!" exclaimed Roberts. "I am able to help my family members, taking them to appointments, going to my job - in fact, I was just promoted - without wanting to just run away!"