# Making the Most of Mental Health Medications With Pharmacogenetic Testing
Former pageant winner Stefania Fernandez credits the GeneSight test with transforming her approach to mental health treatment. The pharmacogenetic test analyzes how a person's genetic makeup affects medication metabolism, potentially helping psychiatrists prescribe drugs that work better for individual patients.
Pharmacogenetic testing examines variations in genes that influence how bodies process psychiatric medications. Different genetic profiles mean different people metabolize antidepressants, anti-anxiety drugs, and other psychotropic medications at different rates. Someone with a genetic variation might eliminate a drug too quickly, leaving them undertreated. Another person might metabolize it slowly, building up toxic levels in their system.
The GeneSight test, created by Myriad Neuroscience, analyzes genes related to drug metabolism and provides reports to clinicians about which medications a patient's body may tolerate well versus poorly. This information helps psychiatrists move beyond trial-and-error prescribing, which can take months or years to find an effective medication.
Fernandez found that traditional psychiatry meant cycling through different medications with minimal improvement. After taking the GeneSight test, her psychiatrist identified medications better suited to her genetic profile. The shift produced noticeable results in her mental health management.
Pharmacogenetic testing has grown in clinical practice over the past decade. A 2019 study in Psychiatry Research showed patients who received pharmacogenetic-guided treatment experienced faster symptom improvement than those receiving standard care. However, insurance coverage remains inconsistent, and some practitioners question whether the test delivers value proportional to its cost.
Mental health advocates note that pharmacogenetic testing works best alongside therapy, lifestyle changes, and ongoing psychiatric care. The test provides information, not solutions. A skilled psychiatrist still interprets results within the context of a patient's full medical history,