Nearly Half of Americans Say They’ve Lost Time in Their Lives Due to Poor Mental Health, According to the GeneSight Mental Health Monitor - Seite 2

When coming out of a depressive episode, 60% of survey respondents feel exhausted, half (50%) say they feel like they are coming out of a fog, and 47% say they feel disappointed that they’ve missed out on life. Only 16% said they were “ready to take on the world.”

Medication trial and error leads to lost time

About a third of those with anxiety and/or depression say they’ve missed significant events due to ineffective mental health treatments. Patients may experience trial and error with mental health medication and dosage adjustments for months, or even years, with a “treatment as usual” approach.

Philbin orders the GeneSight test to help her patients understand how they may metabolize or respond to a number of mental health medications based on their individual genetics.

“GeneSight has been one of the tools I’ve used to help my patients feel better and take control of lost time so that those living with anxiety and depression can enjoy their lives,” said Philbin.

After two in-patient hospitalizations and an extensive outpatient program for her anxiety, a new provider reviewed the results of Courtney’s GeneSight test.

“With my results in hand, she informed me that an SSRI may not have been a good option for me and that I am a rapid metabolizer – so the medications may not be staying in my system long enough to work,” Courtney said. “She prescribed a new medication based partly on the results of my GeneSight report. After some time, I began to feel like myself again. Now, I am back at the job I love and planning my wedding. I do not think I would be alive without the GeneSight test.”

About the GeneSight Mental Health Monitor
The GeneSight Mental Health Monitor is a nationwide survey conducted online by ACUPOLL Precision Research, Inc. between February 16-21, 2024 among a representative sample (n=1000) of U.S. adults age 18+. The margin of error in survey results for the total base population at a 95% confidence interval is +/- 3%. A nationally representative sample of adults aged 18 years or older was recruited and balanced to match U.S. Census quotas across five primary metrics (i.e., age, gender, income, region, ethnicity).

In addition to the nationally representative sample, a statistically reliable sample was desired of respondents who were self-reported as being diagnosed by a medical professional with depression or anxiety. The study also used mental health screening instruments, the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2) for depression, and the General Anxiety Disorder (GAD-2) for anxiety, to better understand this population.