Overcoming Side Effect Concerns: Leveraging Pharmacogenomic Insights to Inform Depression and Anxiety Medication Selection

Whitnee Brown, a lifelong resident now practicing in Birmingham, Alabama has nearly an entire alphabet following her name, abbreviations for degrees and certifications that declare her many accomplishments as a medical mental health professional. Not one meant as much as when she heard her patient Lisa Roberts sharing how grateful she is for being in Dr. Brown’s care.

“I am so honored that I was allowed to be a ripple in her ocean,” said Dr. Brown, “such a warm feeling to see her thriving!”

Lisa Roberts had made an appointment with Dr. Brown when she realized she was struggling with her mental health. After a series of painful family events, including the passing of her mother, Lisa needed help. And she needed it quickly because as she describes it, “I just did not want to be here and to have to deal with it all anymore.”

Dr. Brown was exactly the right fit and suggested that medication would be helpful. But Lisa had tried antidepressants in the past and was fearful of trial and error and potential side effects.

“I had too much going on to have to try to go through that; I literally did not have time,” she said.

Dr. Brown offers the GeneSight^® test in her practice as a part of her treatment plan for patients for whom she is considering prescribing medication.

“For example, it can take about four to six weeks for an SSRI medication to take effect, which can feel like a long time to a patient who is in despair or experiencing feelings of hopelessness or helplessness. The GeneSight test gives me insights and takes out some of the guesswork associated with prescribing mental health medications.”

Dr. Brown developed a medication treatment plan for Lisa with the help of her GeneSight test results. The GeneSight test analyzes how a patient’s genes may affect their outcomes to certain mental health medications, providing insight on which medications may require dose adjustments, may be less likely to work, or may have an increased risk of side effects based on their genetics.

“I’m here!” exclaimed Ms. Roberts. “I am able to help my family members, taking them to appointments, go to my job—in fact, I was just promoted—without wanting to just run away!”

Dr. Brown is a speaker for GeneSight. Dr. Brown and Ms. Roberts shared their experiences in a multi-media news release to support the most recent GeneSight Mental Health Monitor survey, which examined Americans’ attitudes towards mental health medications like antidepressants.

GeneSight Mental Health Monitor Results

Nearly nine out of ten (89%) Americans diagnosed with depression and/or anxiety believe mental health medications are somewhat or very effective, yet concerns about potential side effects remain a significant barrier, preventing more than half (52%) of those who have never been on a mental health medication from taking them.

The majority of these patients (54%) agree that genetic testing for mental health medications (known as pharmacogenomic or PGx testing) could reduce these concerns.

Among those diagnosed with depression and/or anxiety, 62% of patients whose healthcare provider did not use PGx testing wish they had been informed about it.

The GeneSight Mental Health Monitor also revealed:

• 67% of Americans surveyed strongly agree that it is socially acceptable to take medications for mental health
• 62% of Americans surveyed strongly agree that they would feel comfortable discussing their use of mental health medications with their family
• 66% of Americans surveyed have a positive view of other people taking mental health medications, with just 5% reporting a negative view.

In fact, respondents rated the effectiveness of mental health medications as similar to that of medications prescribed for their high blood pressure (94%), high cholesterol (90%), and arthritis (84%).

About the GeneSight Mental Health Monitor

The GeneSight Mental Health Monitor is a nationwide survey conducted online by ACUPOLL Precision Research, Inc. between January 24 – February 10, 2025, among a representative sample (n=1089) of U.S. adults age 18+. The margin of error in survey results for the total base population at a 95% confidence interval is +/- 3%. A nationally representative sample of adults aged 18 years or older was recruited and balanced to match U.S. Census quotas across five primary metrics (i.e., age, gender, income, region, ethnicity).

In addition to the nationally representative sample, a statistically reliable sample was desired of respondents who were self-reported as being diagnosed by a medical professional with depression or anxiety. The study also used mental health screening instruments, the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2) for depression, and the General Anxiety Disorder (GAD-2) for anxiety, to better understand this population.

ACUPOLL has more than 30 years of experience conducting statistically valid research through careful recruiting and quality control measures.

Independently Reviewed 

This survey was independently reviewed on February 26, 2025, by Paul J. Lavrakas, Ph. D. and was found to be “an exceptionally high-quality nonprobability survey whose findings can be trusted with a good deal of confidence.” Lavrakas served the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) as its first Conference Operations chair in 1996-1997, as Program Chair in 1997-1998, and as Senior Counselor at Large in 2008-2010. In 2003, he was the co-winner of the AAPOR Innovator’s award for helping to establish the Standard’s Definitions Manual. He was elected to serve AAPOR as its Vice President, President, and Past President from 2011-2014. In 2019, he was honored with AAPOR’s Exceptionally Distinguished Achievement lifetime award for his contributions to the field of survey research.