PGx in psychiatry: Patients' knowledge, interest, and uncertainty management preferences in the context of pharmacogenomic testing

Abstract

Objective: Pharmacogenomic testing (PGx) is expanding into psychiatric care. PGx could potentially offer a unique benefit to psychiatric patients, providing information about patients' reaction to medications that could reduce the time and financial burdens of drug optimization. The aims of this study were to: (1) examine psychiatry patients' familiarity and interest in PGx, and (2) explore how Uncertainty Management Theory relates to PGx testing in psychiatry.

Method: We surveyed psychiatric patients, measuring their PGx familiarity and interest, attitudes toward PGx testing, and preference for managing illness uncertainty.

Results: We analyzed data from 598 patients. Patients' familiarity of PGx was low, but interest was high. Thirty percent of patients were familiar with the test from communication with their healthcare provider or their own online health information seeking. A preference for seeking information was a significant positive predictor of testing interest (p < .001).

Conclusion: Psychiatric patients were interested in PGx testing, regardless of their uncertainty management preferences.

Practice implications: This study is one of the first to examine psychiatric patients' perspectives on PGx testing in mental health care. Our findings show that psychiatric patients are interested in the test and are familiar enough with PGx to be included in future research on the topic.

Keywords: Genetic testing; Pharmacogenomics; Psychiatry; Uncertainty; Uncertainty Management Theory.