Nearly Half of Americans Say They’ve Lost Time in Their Lives Due to Poor Mental Health, According to the GeneSight Mental Health Monitor

80% of people diagnosed with anxiety, depression report losing years or decades of time

SALT LAKE CITY, April 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- An astonishing 44% of Americans feel they have lost time in their lives due to poor mental health. That number jumps to nearly 80% for those diagnosed with anxiety and/or depression, according to the latest GeneSight Mental Health Monitor, a nationwide survey from Myriad Genetics, Inc. (NASDAQ:MYGN), a leader in genetic testing and precision medicine.

Of those diagnosed with anxiety and/or depression, half (50%) said they have lost years of their lifetime because of poor mental health – and 12% said they’ve lost decades.

When able to attend important events, 71% of the respondents say their mental health has kept them from being fully present. Nearly eight in 10 respondents (78%) said poor mental health prevented them from “having fun/enjoying myself” in the past year -- a number that jumps to 82% for those diagnosed with anxiety and/or depression.

“For a patient who is struggling, time ticks a lot slower than it does for the rest of us,” said Debbie Thomasⁱ, a psychiatric nurse practitioner in Louisville, Kentucky. “One of my patients told me that, when they woke up in the morning, they counted how many hours before they could go back to bed. That’s pretty telling when someone is in the depths of depression and anxiety to that degree.”

The nationwide survey of adults 18+ found that more than half of those diagnosed with anxiety and/or depression say that poor mental health caused them to miss a major life event.

“I had to call off my wedding to focus on my mental health,” said Courtney Nugent, a GeneSight patient based in Massachusetts. “Instead of celebrating a joyous time of my life, I was fighting an invisible battle. My mental health crisis was six months on paper, but for every second of every day, I was fighting to stay alive. That’s time I can’t get back.”

Further, when respondents missed important life events, they were left with numerous negative feelings:

Sharon Philbinⁱ, an advanced practice registered nurse in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, said that many of her patients are as upset about the time lost as they are about having depression and/or anxiety.

“Patients who have lost time due to depressive episodes or periods of anxiety often feel a sense of loss, which further complicates their mental health situation,” said Philbin. “Many of my patients say they are thankful they feel better, but they worry that it will happen again.”