As a mom, taking care of everyone else is second nature. Taking care of yourself — especially when it comes to your mental health — is another matter entirely. When you decide to take the first step to seek out a supportive mental health medication, that deserves a pat on the back. It’s also just the beginning.
Because if you’ve been through it, you know. The journey to finding a medication that works for you is a trial-and-error process with no one-size-fits-all solution and no guarantees. Each person’s experience is as unique as their genetics, which is why more personalized insights can be helpful.
That’s where the GeneSight® test can come into play. This pharmacogenomic test analyzes how your genes may affect your outcomes with medications commonly prescribed for depression, anxiety, ADHD, and other mental health conditions. With this genetic information, your provider can better understand how you might metabolize and respond to certain mental health medications and potentially reduce the time spent on trial and error, when considered alongside other information during a medical assessment.
Providers like Emilie Breeding, a psychiatric nurse practitioner and mental healthcare provider at Woodstream Wellness in Cincinnati, Ohio, call it “a fantastic tool prescribers use to help inform medication treatment for patients struggling with psychiatric symptoms.”
If this sounds interesting to you, there’s plenty more to know. Read on to get a clearer picture.
Why The Process Of Finding A Medication Takes Time
“Finding a medication that works for you is often a gradual process,” Breeding tells Scary Mommy, and one that requires careful consideration for each patient. She explains that providers typically start with one well-supported option, adjust dosage slowly, and monitor how you respond. This process can take weeks per medication. If you have bad side effects or don’t notice any improvement, you start the process again.
The inconvenient truth is that many people have to try different mental health medications to find the one that is effective for them. According to a 2006 study in The American Journal of Psychiatry, fewer than 40% of people reach remission after their first depression medication, with success rates decreasing with each additional attempt¹. After a second trial, 31% of patients reached remission from depression, and 14% after a third.
Add this to the myriad of responsibilities a mother already has to juggle, and it can compound the negative feelings. When speaking on the emotional toll this trial-and-error medication process can take for moms, Breeding says, “There can be frustration, guilt, and even self-doubt when something doesn’t work right away. Many moms feel pressure to ‘hold it together’, which can make the process feel even heavier. Emotionally, this can be exhausting.”
How The GeneSight Test May Help
Despite the complex science behind it, the process of taking the GeneSight test is simple and non-invasive. After your provider orders the test, the DNA sample can be collected in-office or at home via cheek swab. Better yet? Your results are returned to your provider about three days after the lab receives your sample.
Your provider will help guide you through your report, which includes more than 60 different FDA-approved mental health medications. The report helps provide insight into which medications might be more impacted by your unique genetic profile. It offers personalized information about which medications may require dose adjustments, may be less likely to work, or may have an increased risk of side effects based on your genetic makeup.
Keep in mind that other factors like lifestyle, age, symptoms, and past history still factor into the equation, as Breeding says. “It doesn’t tell us exactly which medication will ‘work,’ but it can help identify which ones may be better tolerated or needs changes to the dose.”
How To Bring It Up With Your Provider
If you’re interested in a more personalized approach to your mental health medication, ask your provider about the GeneSight test. They’ll be able to help assess your current treatment plan before determining next steps.
Breeding emphasizes that it’s not intended to provide a “definitive answer” to what might help you feel better. Rather, it’s a “potentially helpful piece of the puzzle.” She says “It’s important to approach it as one tool among many.”
If you’re unsure of where exactly to start, check out the GeneSight Discussion Guide. This interactive resource allows patients to enter their medication and mental health history and delivers a personalized summary that can help serve as a road map.
Additionally, the cost is a consideration. While pricing depends on insurance, most patients pay $330 or less out of pocket for the GeneSight test. Plus, financial assistance and payment plans may also be an option. If your expected cost is higher than $330, you’ll be contacted before the test is processed so you can decide how to proceed.
What There Is To Gain
While the GeneSight test is just one possible solution in your path to feeling better, it can stand to make a real difference.
Research suggests that depression remission and response rates were higher when clinicians had access to the GeneSight test to inform their treatment decisions compared with treatment as usual. A 2025 meta-analysis published in The Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology found that patients in the GeneSight test study arm were 41% more likely to achieve remission and 30% more likely to achieve response compared to treatment as usual².
What does this mean for patients? The GeneSight test has the potential to inform your treatment which may help you feel more like yourself again.
“Moms often describe feeling more present and more like themselves again,” says Breeding of the experience of moms who find effective mental health treatment. “Their energy improves, their mood stabilizes, and they’re better able to engage with their children and partners. The whole family benefits — there’s often less tension, more connection, and a healthier emotional environment overall. When a mom is supported, it tends to positively ripple through the entire household.”
The journey to get there isn’t always easy, but when you find a mental health medication that works for you, it can feel like your world is coming into focus. And that makes all the difference.
In the words of Breeding, “You deserve to feel well, not just function. The goal is not to survive, but to thrive.”
Interested in taking the GeneSight test? Take the next step at genesight.com.
