Pharmacogenetic Testing on an Outpatient Population With a Depression Diagnosis

Mental illness affects one in four adults in the United States; approximately 61.5 million
Americans experience mental illness in a given year. According to the National Alliance for
the Mentally Ill, the impact of serious mental illness costs Americans $193.2 billion in
lost earnings per year. In addition, mental illness patients have an increased risk of
having chronic medical conditions, leading to increased costs and emergency service
utilization for those conditions. In addition to substantial costs, patients with
psychiatric illness are difficult to treat. More than two-thirds of patients with depression
do not respond to first line therapy. Treatment often involves numerous trials of individual
agents and combinations of medications in order to achieve optimal response. Pharmacogenetic
testing is being used in more settings to guide treatment decisions.

Inclusion Criteria:

- Current primary or secondary diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder or Depressive
Disorder Not Otherwise Specified

- Have moderate to severe depression as identified by PHQ-9 scoring of 10 or greater

- Taking or be newly prescribed an anti-depressant or anti-psychotic medication

- Able to provide informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

- Pregnant or breastfeeding

- Active and/or unstable diagnosis of substance abuse, excluding nicotine

- Primary diagnosis of dementia, bipolar disorder (any type), schizophrenia,
schioaffective disorder, or personality disorder