HomeProvider StoriesGeneSight® could be the difference in months of trouble vs. months of thriving GeneSight® could be the difference in months of trouble vs. months of thriving February 20, 2024 Kyle John, MD, child psychiatristMissouri I’m a child psychiatrist with the Arc of Ozarks practice in Springfield, Missouri. We see pediatric patients for a variety of mental health issues – from autism and neurodevelopmental disabilities to general pediatric psychiatry. I was an early adopter of the GeneSight test; I’ve used it for more than 10 years. I started using it because I found the trial-and-error nature of psychiatry equivalent to throwing spaghetti at wall to see what sticks. We all want to do better than that. I don’t think of the GeneSight test as the “right drug” test. It doesn’t tell you which medication will definitely work. I think of it more like the “not the wrong drug” test. The way I use the GeneSight test is that the test helps me rule out the medications that I’m not going to try first. And it’s not just the ones in the green category. I sometimes find medications in the yellow or even red category are best suited for a patient at a lower or higher dosage because of their diagnosis and information in the clinical considerations. The GeneSight test is personal for me I’m a big believer in talk or psychotherapy before medication. Yet, my nephew had gone through two rounds of talk therapy when in high school. When he was a college freshman, his anxiety was overwhelming, and he had to move back home. When my brother asked me to prescribe something, I said, “Not without ordering the GeneSight test first.” When the GeneSight test results came back for my nephew, I realized the first couple of meds I would have prescribed may have been poor choices. It could have been the difference in months of trouble vs. months of thriving. Today, my nephew is no longer at his parent’s home debilitated by mental health challenges. He’s moved away, graduated college and he got married this summer. He is happy and healthy. And he’s no longer taking medication. So, when patients ask if I would order the GeneSight test for a family member, I share that story. Go beyond the green I tell other clinicians that the benefits of this technology are high. And significant. I tell other clinicians: “you’ve got to go beyond the green.” I’ve had times when the medication that most helps a patient is in the red zone. By using the clinical considerations, I see that I may need to use a super low dose and act accordingly. In my opinion, we should use this technology early in a child’s life because our genetics aren’t going to change. If you could know this info at two years old, someone at 20 years old may not have to struggle through multiple medications trials. Finally, I’ve found the GeneSight test helps me talk with parents who may have anxiety about putting their child on medication. Frankly, that’s good if a parent is nervous about medication – you want to do what’s best for your child and parents who are nervous ask a lot of questions about medication. So, with a GeneSight test result in hand, I can explain how I can narrow down choices to those that I think may be better tolerated. When I show them the report, a lot of times, they seem relieved and say: “OK, then we’re in.” They get a sense of confidence that it’s not going to be the trial-and-error journey they’ve had in the past. The GeneSight test is one more important piece of data that I can use to help deliver better outcomes for my patients. Patient Antidepressant Fatigue in Seniors: A Caregiver’s Guide to Reducing Daytime Sleepiness Without Losing Symptom Control You’re spending time with the older adult in your care who also happens to have clinical depression. You’re keeping tabs on how well they’re doing and wheth... Read more Patient Empowering Senior Patient Care with Pharmacogenomics: Insights from the GeneSight Engage Webinar The most recent GeneSight Engage webinar explored how pharmacogenomic testing, particularly the GeneSight® test, is transforming the landscape of mental health ... Read more Patient BIPOC (formerly Minority) Mental Health Month: Breaking Stigma, Building Trust Despite many efforts to stem it, stigma around mental health still exists, particularly in BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) communities. July mark... Read more Patient Long-Term Effects of Antidepressants: What Research Shows Anyone who’s ever taken antidepressants for an extended period of time has probably wondered whether they’ll experience long-term effects: After years ... Read more Patient Have a Mindful Summer: Take a Breather with These Simple Exercises Summer is a great time to kick back and relax—if you can find the time. Managing the hustle and bustle of kids off school, planning for fun summer activities an... Read more Patient Barriers at Every Turn: How Systemic and Social Factors Block Men from Mental Health Care Taking the important step of seeking care for mental health isn’t always an easy decision. Uncertainty about the need for care, social stigmas associated wi... Read more Healthcare Provider 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 certifi... Read more Patient Concerns about Mental Health Medication Side Effects Remain a Barrier to Getting Help for Those Diagnosed with Depression and Anxiety Lisa Roberts has raised a family, reached an impressively high level in her career, and was an anchor for her mother and other family members. When, within ... Read more Patient Common Antidepressant Side Effects Taking an antidepressant can be an effective way to help treat a mental health condition like depression or anxiety. However, these medications can also cre... Read more Patient MTHFR Mutations: Clinical Implications and Management Strategies MTHFR mutations—changes in the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene—have gained increased attention in the medical community due to their potent... Read more Learn more Learn more about GeneSight How to talk to your provider View our clinical studies
Patient Antidepressant Fatigue in Seniors: A Caregiver’s Guide to Reducing Daytime Sleepiness Without Losing Symptom Control You’re spending time with the older adult in your care who also happens to have clinical depression. You’re keeping tabs on how well they’re doing and wheth... Read more
Patient Empowering Senior Patient Care with Pharmacogenomics: Insights from the GeneSight Engage Webinar The most recent GeneSight Engage webinar explored how pharmacogenomic testing, particularly the GeneSight® test, is transforming the landscape of mental health ... Read more
Patient BIPOC (formerly Minority) Mental Health Month: Breaking Stigma, Building Trust Despite many efforts to stem it, stigma around mental health still exists, particularly in BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) communities. July mark... Read more
Patient Long-Term Effects of Antidepressants: What Research Shows Anyone who’s ever taken antidepressants for an extended period of time has probably wondered whether they’ll experience long-term effects: After years ... Read more
Patient Have a Mindful Summer: Take a Breather with These Simple Exercises Summer is a great time to kick back and relax—if you can find the time. Managing the hustle and bustle of kids off school, planning for fun summer activities an... Read more
Patient Barriers at Every Turn: How Systemic and Social Factors Block Men from Mental Health Care Taking the important step of seeking care for mental health isn’t always an easy decision. Uncertainty about the need for care, social stigmas associated wi... Read more
Healthcare Provider 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 certifi... Read more
Patient Concerns about Mental Health Medication Side Effects Remain a Barrier to Getting Help for Those Diagnosed with Depression and Anxiety Lisa Roberts has raised a family, reached an impressively high level in her career, and was an anchor for her mother and other family members. When, within ... Read more
Patient Common Antidepressant Side Effects Taking an antidepressant can be an effective way to help treat a mental health condition like depression or anxiety. However, these medications can also cre... Read more
Patient MTHFR Mutations: Clinical Implications and Management Strategies MTHFR mutations—changes in the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene—have gained increased attention in the medical community due to their potent... Read more