New Year’s Resolutions: Americans Say Body & Mind Equally Important in Theory but Not in Practice, According to GeneSight® Mental Health Monitor Nationwide Survey

SALT LAKE CITY, Dec. 15, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Now is the time when people start to think of new year’s resolutions to improve their health. For many, the focus is on physical goals like losing weight or exercising more. A nationwide survey suggests that many may want to consider adding mental health resolutions to their list.

More than three out of four respondents said that physical and mental health were equally important. Yet, when it comes to care, four in 10 indicate they’re more likely to see a doctor for a physical ailment than a mental health need according to the GeneSight^® Mental Health Monitor from Myriad Genetics, Inc. (NASDAQ: MYGN), a leader in genetic testing and precision medicine.

“The survey highlights an important disconnect between what people say they value and what they actually would do,” said Mark Pollack, MD, chief medical officer for Mental Health at Myriad Genetics. “The reality is that people are more apt to seek treatment for their bodies than their minds. Yet, the science is clear that physical health and mental health are intrinsically connected.”

When asked about the best ways to care for their health:

“It’s interesting that more than two-thirds said annual doctor visits are one of the best ways to take care of physical health, but only one-third said that approach was good for mental health,” said Dr. Pollack. “Regular mental health checkups with your doctor are vital to managing mental health and getting treatment before challenges become debilitating crises.”

“Further, the GeneSight survey shows that stigma still exists for using medication to treat mental health disorders and it shouldn’t,” continued Dr. Pollack. “No one expects someone with diabetes to manage their blood sugar level without treatment. We shouldn’t expect people to ‘just snap out of it’ if they suffer from depression, anxiety or other mental health conditions. Mental health treatment can help.”

Family doctors play an important role

While 84% said they had a trusted healthcare provider for their physical health, only about half of adults surveyed said they had a trusted mental healthcare provider.

Yet, for many, their healthcare provider may perform double duty. Family doctors are often on the front lines of mental health. When asked who they would see first if they suspected they had a mental health challenge, most survey respondents (44%) would talk to a general practitioner – followed by psychologists (24%) or psychiatrists (20%).

Tens of thousands of clinicians across the country have ordered the GeneSight test, which analyzes how a patient’s genes may affect their outcomes with medications commonly prescribed to treat depression, anxiety, ADHD, and other mental health conditions. For more information, please visit GeneSight.com.

About the GeneSight^® Mental Health Monitor

The GeneSight Mental Health Monitor is a nationwide survey of U.S. adults conducted by ACUPOLL Precision Research, Inc. in Aug.-Sept. 2021 among a statistically representative sample of adults age 21+, including a representative sample diagnosed with anxiety. The margin of error in survey results for the total base population at a 95% confidence interval is +/- 3%.

About the GeneSight^® Test

The GeneSight Psychotropic test from Myriad Genetics is the category-leading pharmacogenomic test for 61 medications commonly prescribed for depression, anxiety, ADHD, and other psychiatric conditions. The GeneSight test can help inform clinicians about how a patient’s genes may impact how they metabolize and/or respond to certain psychiatric medications. It has been given to more than 1.5 million patients by tens of thousands of clinicians to provide genetic information that is unique to each patient. The GeneSight test supplements other information considered by a clinician as part of a comprehensive medical assessment. Learn more at GeneSight.com.

About Myriad Genetics

Myriad Genetics is a leading genetic testing and precision medicine company dedicated to advancing health and wellbeing for all, empowering individuals with vital genetic insights and enabling healthcare providers to better detect, treat and prevent disease. Myriad discovers and commercializes genetic tests that determine the risk of developing disease, assess the risk of disease progression, and guide treatment decisions across medical specialties where critical genetic insights can significantly improve patient care and lower healthcare costs. For more information, visit the company’s website: www.myriad.com.

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