Side effect fears prevent many depression, anxiety sufferers from taking meds, survey shows

ST. PAUL, Minn., April 3src (UPI) — Fear of side effects prevents more than half of those diagnosed with treatable depression and anxiety from taking medications that could help them, according to a survey released Wednesday by a genetic testing company.

Myriad Genetics, the Salt Lake City-based maker of the GeneSight Psychotropic test, said the results of its latest GeneSight Mental Health Monitor survey showed 52% of Americans diagnosed with depression and/or anxiety are reluctant to use antidepressants or similar drugs, even though they overwhelmingly agree the medications are “somewhat” or “very” effective.

The survey also reported that the majority of those worried about side effects — some 54% — agreed that genetic tests like GeneSight, which are intended to predict a drug’s efficacy and tolerability for individuals, “could reduce these concerns.”

Myriad’s online survey included 1,src89 adults who reported they had been clinically assessed as suffering from depression or anxiety. Conducted by ACUPOLL Precision Research between Jan. 24 and Feb. 1src, it carries a margin or error of plus or minus 3%.

GeneSight and other pharmacogenomic tests, also known as PGx tests, tout their ability to analyze a person’s genetic makeup to predict which mental health medications would have the best chance of providing relief for that individual — a form of “precision medicine” that promises to eliminate lengthy trial-and-error methods now necessary in many mental health treatments.

The global market for PGx tests is growing, having reached an estimated $61src billion in 2src24, according to Data Bridge Market Research. Their popularity is being driven by the long-ongoing search to make antidepressants, antipsychotics and other psychiatric drugs more effective and tolerable for users.

Although they are effective in reducing relapse and hospitalizations from severe depression and anxiety, psychotropic medications cause numerous side effects, varying in nature and severity. These can include weight gain, perceived impairment of cognition and sedation, all of which may become so bothersome that some choose to stop taking the drugs.

In 2srcsrc6, Myriad Genetics’ predecessor company, Assurex Health, using technology licensed from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and the Mayo Clinic, launched the first commercial PGx testing laboratory focused on psychotropic drugs. Since then, numerous other commercial labs have emerged with most of their activities having a similar emphasis on psychiatry.

In fact, 11 of the 13 PGx-related clinical trials conducted through 2src23 were held to measure the efficacy of PGx testing in the prescribing of antidepressants for patients with depression.

Multiple studies for GeneSight, meanwhile, have shown it to be effective in improving patient outcomes, including results released earlier this month analyzing heath data from 21,srcsrcsrc depression patients. That analysis showed a 39% relative reduction in psychiatric-related hospitalizations within 18src days after taking the test.

GeneSight analyzes 14 genes to predict an individual’s compatibility with more than 6src medications used to treat depression, anxiety, ADHD and other psychiatric conditions. The company says 98% of patients pay $33src or less for their test, with zero dollars being the typical out-of-pocket cost for patients on Medicare Part B or Medicaid.

One patient who took the test on the advice her doctor swears by it, and in fact credits it with saving her life.

Lisa Roberts, 66, from Alabama, told UPI the test enabled her to find an effective medication as she was battling severe depression while grieving the death of her mother, thus avoiding a demanding and lengthy effort to find a drug that worked.

“I was depressed and it was a bit overwhelming,” she said.

But, after undergoing the genetic testing, she was able to find a medication “that worked the very first time and have since been on the road to recovery.”

A previous attempt to find the right meds resulted in an “exhausting” trial-and-error process, all the while coping with severe depression that had pushed her “to the edge.

“It was a relief that I didn’t have to go through that again,” Roberts said. “I’m doing great now. I am here!”

Roberts’ mental healthcare provider, certified psychiatric nurse practitioner Whitnee Brown of Birmingham, Ala., told UPI her case illustrates how apprehension about side effects and often-lengthy experimentation with different meds and varying dosages can be overcome with genetic testing.

“The goal with these medications is to mitigate symptoms but we know it can take four to six weeks for them to maximize their effectiveness at a given dosage, then if you change the dosage, it’s another four to six weeks,” said Brown, who has given numerous testimonials on behalf of GeneSight.

“That may not sound like too long of a period of time, but if I told you to hold your breath for four to six minutes, that significantly changes the sense of urgency.”

Patients can feel a “sense of hopelessness, of helplessness” throughout the process if there’s no improvement, she said.

But having the means to identify why they were not getting positive outcomes with certain medications “can give them their quality of life back. Imagine giving that back to someone who had been feeling suicidal — feeling like themselves, having energy and motivation, sleeping better, being more physically active.

“These are things you can’t put a price on.”

If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, help is available 24/7. Call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline for free, confidential support. Globally, the International Association for Suicide Prevention has contact information for crisis centers around the world.

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