Health Professionals: More About CYP450 Genotyping and the Use of SSRI Drugs for Depression in Adults

This page contains information that is not part of the EGAPP™ recommendation, but may be important for health professionals.

Public Health Implications

Major depressive disorder is the leading cause of disability in the United States, with a lifetime prevalence estimated as high as 16%. SSRI drugs are the first-line choice for treatment of depression. Public health practitioners may choose to use this EGAPP™ recommendation information to support the following public health activities:

• Dissemination of these Web-based materials and the EGAPP™ recommendation to partners and other groups to increase awareness of these resources.
• Using surveillance to assess the current usage of genetic testing for CYP450 variants to determine the need for targeted educational campaigns aimed at informing providers and the public about the EGAPP™ recommendations and limitations of CYP450 genetic testing.
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More Considerations for Practice

• CYP450 genotyping performed for SSRI metabolism can also provide information on the metabolism of many other drugs for a variety of health conditions.
• CYP450 genetic testing is available through direct-to-consumer testing companies.

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