Survey Suggests Increased Attention on Mental Health Warranted in the Run-Up to the Election
June 24 2024 - 4:05PM
A significant 40% of Americans report feeling ‘depressed and/or
anxious’ around the election season according to the latest
GeneSight® Mental Health Monitor: Special Election Series, a
nationwide survey from Myriad Genetics, Inc. (NASDAQ:MYGN), a
leader in genetic testing and precision medicine.
“The results of the Special Election Survey show that politics
and elections tend to trouble our nation’s mental wellbeing,” said
Thomas J. Valente, a psychiatrist from Leesburg, Florida. “My
patients, especially those with significant mental illness, all
worry as to how the election will affect them. We want people to
know that they do not have to live with depression and anxiety, and
that they should be proactively seeking solutions.”
In addition, the Monitor revealed that nearly four in ten
Americans (38%) say that news and social media around the upcoming
election is making them more anxious than usual as well as that
approximately the same number (35%) already feel “checked out” by
the overwhelming amount of news and social media attention.
The survey also found that just one in three (37%) Americans who
have been diagnosed with depression and/or anxiety are currently
seeing a healthcare professional for mental health treatment.
For individuals struggling with their mental health, the
GeneSight test could be a useful tool as it provides clinicians
with information about how they may break down or respond to
certain medications commonly prescribed to treat depression,
anxiety, and other mental health conditions
“It is discouraging, but not surprising to note the percentage
of patients diagnosed with anxiety and/or depression who go
untreated or undertreated. Research shows that a combination of
medication and talk therapy are the most effective treatment
methods for depression and other mental health conditions,” said
Valente. “We hope that Americans will consider taking steps to
improve their mental health as we get closer to this important
election. The GeneSight test is one of the tools I’ve used to help
my patients get back on the road to mental wellness.”
The results are the first of three in a series tracking how the
election season may affect Americans’ mental health, particularly
amidst the ongoing mental health crisis in the United States. The
second survey of the Special Election Series will follow in
September and a third round will take place in October.
About the GeneSight Mental Health MonitorThe
GeneSight Mental Health Monitor is a nationwide survey conducted
online by ACUPOLL Precision Research, Inc. between May 8-15, 2024,
among a representative sample (n=1000) of U.S. adults age 18+. The
margin of error in survey results for the total base population at
a 95% confidence interval is +/- 3%. A nationally representative
sample of adults aged 18 years or older was recruited and balanced
to match U.S. Census quotas across five primary metrics (i.e., age,
gender, income, region, ethnicity).
In addition to the nationally representative sample, a
statistically reliable sample was desired of respondents who were
self-reported as being diagnosed by a medical professional with
depression or anxiety. The study also used mental health screening
instruments, the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2) for
depression, and the General Anxiety Disorder (GAD-2) for anxiety,
to better understand this population.
ACUPOLL has more than 30 years of experience conducting
statistically valid research through careful recruiting and quality
control measures.
About the GeneSight TestThe GeneSight
Psychotropic test from Myriad Genetics is the category-leading
pharmacogenomic test for more than 60 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. Tens of thousands of clinicians
have ordered the GeneSight test for more than two million patients
in order to receive 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 GeneticsMyriad Genetics is a
leading genetic testing and precision medicine company dedicated to
advancing health and well-being for all. Myriad develops and offers
genetic tests that help assess the risk of developing disease or
disease progression and guide treatment decisions across medical
specialties where genetic insights can significantly improve
patient care and lower healthcare costs. For more information,
visit www.myriad.com.
Safe Harbor StatementThis press release
contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including that
the GeneSight test could be a useful tool when individuals are
working with a clinician to find the right medication prescribed to
treat mental health conditions and it may be particularly useful
for clinicians in the months leading up to the election as the
Special Election Survey indicates that 40% of Americans report
feeling ‘depressed and/or anxious’ about the upcoming election.
These “forward-looking statements” are management’s expectations of
future events as of the date hereof and are subject to known and
unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results,
conditions, and events to differ materially and adversely from
those anticipated. Such factors include those risks described in
the company’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange
Commission, including the company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K
filed on February 28, 2024, as well as any updates to those risk
factors filed from time to time in the company’s Quarterly Reports
on Form 10-Q or Current Reports on Form 8-K. Myriad is not under
any obligation, and it expressly disclaims any obligation, to
update or alter any forward-looking statements, whether as a result
of new information, future events or otherwise except as required
by law.
Matt Scalo(801)
584-3532IR@myriad.com
Media ContactGlenn Farrell(385)
318-3718PR@myriad.com
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