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. Patient Which Mental Health Provider Should I Consider? 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Patient Which Mental Health Provider Should I Consider? A Symptom-Based Guide The support of a good healthcare provider can make all the difference when you’re struggling with your mental health. But how do you connect to one in a sea of ... Read more
Patient One explanation for why we experience Side Effects? Understanding Your Genetic Response to Antidepressants Antidepressants often play an essential role in helping patients with their mental health conditions. But as many patients can attest, it’s frustrating when... 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
Patient Can an App Help Me Manage My Anxiety? Health and wellness smartphone apps have become so common that if you can name a health goal, desire or condition, you can probably find an app for it. N... Read more
Patient Black Trailblazers of Psychiatry and Mental Health: A Legacy of Healing and Advocacy As we celebrate Black History Month, we want to recognize a few individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to the field of psychiatry and mental heal... Read more
Patient Mindful Moments: Tips for Anxiety If a well-meaning friend or family member has ever told you to “just breathe” when you’re feeling worked up or stressed out, you’d be forgiven if you felt l... Read more