Genetic testing may help personalize mental health treatment in Georgia

A national survey by Myriad Genetics found that many people with depression or anxiety would feel more confident with a personalized mental health plan instead of a one-size-fits-all approach.

Crystal Nelson, a board-certified psychiatrist in Newnan, said treatment does not have to work that way especially when using pharmacogenetic testing. Nelson has been using the testing for 11 years.

“It’s a simple cheek swab test that any clinician can order on their patient,” Nelson explained. “It will give them some information back telling them how the patient’s genes could impact the outcomes to the medication.”

In Georgia, 1.8 million adults struggle with a mental health condition, which is a 31% increase since 2023, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness-Georgia.

Nelson said genetic testing helps narrow down the list of 60 potential medications to as few as three, depending on the results. One of Nelson’s patients had tried multiple medications without success.

“She was on medications that were not working, and when we did the GeneSight test, it suggested some medications that I would’ve never gone to,” Nelson recounted. “I put the lady on this medication, and she went into remission on a very low dose. I was able to take her from two medications down to one.”

Critics say the evidence for genetic testing is still developing and changing, but a 2025 study showed promising results. The study found that testing improved symptom-free remission by 41%.

Nelson encourages patients to ask their providers about testing.