DNA Medical Testing
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Did you know that your genes can affect the effectiveness of your mental health medications? As stated by a survey, less than 50% of people diagnosed with depression actually respond to their medications.
DNA medical testing is one way for clinicians to assess a patient’s genetic information, family history, and current mental health diagnosis and check if the current medications are effective.
If you are currently taking medications to manage your anxiety, depression, ADHD, and other mental health issues, DNA tests can help assess how your brain responds to the drugs, and your genetic counselor can help find other ways to manage your mental health condition better.
Genetic tests also provide you with other drug options if necessary or change the dosage to lessen the occurrence of possible side effects depending on your genetic condition.
What Does DNA Medical Testing Do for Mental Health?
Genetic testing can be considered the future of helping patients with psychiatric care. Many physical and mental problems can be predicted by your genetic makeup.
The purpose of genetic tests for mental health conditions is to find any “pharmacogenetic markers” in your DNA.
These pharmacogenetic markers are used by a DNA testing company to select the most effective drugs to treat a patient’s specific mental disorder.
The need to try multiple different medications before finding one that works is a common issue for patients starting medication for mental illness, including antidepressants and antipsychotics.
Potentially, the procedure of trying out various medications before settling on one can be eliminated with an accurate genetic test. Your symptoms can be treated considerably more quickly with this method.
DNA Medical Testing by Genesight
How Does Genetic Testing Work?
Pharmacogenetics is the scientific discipline underpinning genetic testing for pharmaceutical responses (you may also see it written as pharmacogenomics or PGx). In pharmacogenetics, the fields of genomes (the study of the human genetic material) and pharmacology (the study of how medications function) are combined.
A DNA test examines the important genetic information that may affect the choice of medicine and dose your clinician makes for ADHD, depression, and other mental health issues. It locates the distinctive genetic markers that make you unique, which might help doctors decide which medicines are most likely to be effective or have undesirable side effects.
Pharmacokinetic effects (the movement of drugs through the body) and pharmacodynamic effects (the body’s biological response to drugs) are the two main mechanisms that genetic tests focus on to assist a genetic counselor in determining the best medication treatment. These are especially helpful for people who have a higher risk of developing mental health disorders or a genetic disorder that may be detected through the test.
Pacific Neuropsychiatric Specialists offers comprehensive genetic testing services through GeneSight, a pharmacogenetic test that analyzes the patient’s genetic conditions and how certain medications affect their genetic makeup.
Am I Eligible for a Genetic Testing?
Genetic testing can help people who are just starting treatment decide on the right medication and dosage more quickly and specifically, potentially preventing the roller coaster of medication resistance or a plateau in symptom relief down the road.
DNA testing is not just for people who have struggled with an ineffective medical regimen. Aside from depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder, genetic testing addresses a wide range of disorders, including ADHD, PTSD, schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), autism, chronic pain, and substance abuse.
For a patient with a pre-existing psychological fragility, disclosure of a genetic finding that indicates a serious health problem could also have emotional consequences, but the advantage of being able to anticipate future events using information from your unique neurobiological profile outweighs those risks.
How is a Genetic Test Done?
Most genetic tests are done in easy steps. By taking a painless swab on the inside of your cheek, you can be tested in your doctor’s office. Although the time it takes to get answers can vary, genetic testing is a simple and rapid procedure.
A doctor’s office or a specialized treatment facility can perform the testing. Ask if they perform genetic testing for mental diseases when looking for a doctor’s office that performs genetic testing before arranging an appointment.
Processing of the results typically takes two days. The DNA test works with patients based on their financial needs to make the test affordable and accepts all commercial insurance coverage, depending on your healthcare provider.
The results of tests taken from a patient will be made available by a laboratory. The results are usually explained by your provider in order to determine if you should change or maintain your current medication plan.
Genetic Testing: Is it Worth It?
Genetic testing is a great tool for helping people with mental problems and the medical professionals who treat them.
Through this testing, psychiatrists have access to established recommendations for the use of pharmacogenetic testing and its efficacy in helping patients with mental health issues determine the best course of action to manage their condition.
A strategy for assessing these tests based on their analytical validity, clinical validity, clinical application, and ethical implications has been created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Additionally, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has begun to suggest genetic testing for particular psychiatric medications and even includes details regarding pharmacogenetics on drug labels.
We Are a Credible Psychiatric Service Provider
Through your genetic test results, we can help you achieve a better way to manage your mental health conditions. At PNS, we believe that not all wounds are visible, and we want you to have a better outlook on life while also improving your mental health management through a proper health care plan based on your DNA medical testing or genetic testing.
Book a DNA medical testing appointment with one of our providers today!
Contact Us
Please contact us with questions
or requests for an appointment.