HomeProvider StoriesI found GeneSight helps to build trust with my patients I found GeneSight helps to build trust with my patients November 3, 2023 Johnny Williamson, Psychiatrist Read the transcript You know, in mental health, we don’t have a lot of observable, objective information to use in decision making. We’ve come a long way with the choices in medications and therapies and the like. But for the patient experience, it can seem very mystical. And so I think GeneSight is an opportunity to encourage people to seek mental health to not be intimidated by it. My name is Johnny Williamson, and I am a psychiatrist. I’m boarded in both general psychiatry as well as child and adolescent psychiatry. My general approach is that we’re trying to improve the life of an individual. And I seek a high level of engagement and conversation and sharing of information so that the patient understands the choices that we’re making. They’re committed to them, and then we’re able to interpret their response, to the treatment more effectively. GeneSight is often a part of that, as well. It’s a great tool and a great aid in conveying and obtaining information, as well as giving the patient a perspective around some objective data they can use to make health choices. In the underrepresented minorities, people of color, there are aspects of mental health that still remain taboo. Now, I’m encouraged by the fact that I think that is lessening. I don’t think they’re different challenges. I think how they show up in life Right? What they interpret them to mean and what the things that can be triggers or stressors. You know, though, those are unique to the individual in in race and ethnicity are part of that. But we all get depression and anxiety and PTSD and the like. I found that GeneSight definitely helps to build trust with my patients. It’s objective information. You know, we’re in the information age and and people want and understand data. And they come to the table with a lot of knowledge. And so having that level of information and then the ability to, engage in a conversation that helps interpret that, the meeting and value, really helps to, bring their involvement and engagement in the choice of a treatment option. My message to primary care, clinicians who are treating mental health patients, is GeneSight is data. It’s objective information. Right? We use X rays. We use MRIs. We use blood levels. And so it really is a way to inform yourself and the patient. And so it’s my experience that it actually makes, the interactions less complicated and the decisions less complicated. So I’ve found that it makes clinical decision making around medications, I think, more objective, more effective, and simpler. 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Patient Rooting for Mental Health Heroes at the 2026 Winter Olympics The Winter Olympics has brought us unforgettable moments—Miracle on Ice, Torvill and Dean’s Bolero, the Jamaican bobsled team. They also showed heartbreak: cras... Read more
Healthcare Provider PRIME Care Time-to-Event Analysis In 2022, the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) undertook the Precision Medicine in Mental Health Care, or PRIME Care study, the largest phar... Read more
Patient Healthcare Provider The GeneSight® Test: Announces New Updates As part of our ongoing commitment to ensuring that our tests evolve with the latest scientific research and clinical needs, we’ve updated the GeneSight Test. Th... Read more
Patient Is “Anxiety” on Your Playlist? “Anxiety, keep on tryin' me I feel it quietly, tryna silence me, yeah Anxiety, shake it off of me Somebody's watchin' me, it's my anxiety, yeah (Brrah) …And... Read more
Patient Break the resolution cycle: How simple solutions can transform 2026 Like every year, many of us make New Year’s resolutions and try to stick to them, but broad, all-or-nothing changes often set us up for failure and can make... Read more
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
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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