The Future Is Already Here
The implementation and widespread adoption of precision psychiatry have several challenges.
It requires sophisticated technology and expertise, which may not be readily available in all clinical settings. Moreover, while evidence supports its use in conditions like major depression, there are fewer data on its efficacy in other psychiatric disorders, like schizophrenia.
Dr. Williams said future research should focus on expanding the evidence base for precision psychiatry across a broader range of psychiatric conditions.
Efforts to make precision tools more accessible and scalable, such as developing portable imaging technologies or more readily available biomarker tests, are also critical.
Integrating these precision tools into routine psychiatric practice will also require training and education for clinicians, as well as cost-effective solutions to make these approaches widely available.
“Mental health clinicians throughout the country are starting to employ semi-objective and objective measures in their practices, particularly self-report symptom questionnaires and pharmacogenomic assessment,” Laura Hack, MD, PhD, assistant professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, told this news organization.
“For precision psychiatry measures to be widely implemented, it is essential to demonstrate their reliability, clinical validity, clinical utility, and cost-effectiveness. Additionally, there is a need to develop clinical guidelines for their use, ensure that measurement tools are accessible, and educate all relevant stakeholders,” said Dr. Hack.
Right now, functional neuroimaging is used “only on a very limited basis in current clinical psychiatric practice,” Dr. Hack noted.
“We are developing standardized systems that will require less specialized expertise in functional neuroimaging and can be readily integrated into routine clinical care,” Dr. Akiki added.
Quoting William Gibson, “The future [of precision psychiatry] is already here; it’s just not evenly distributed,” said Dr. Niculescu.
Dr. Williams has disclosed relationships with One Mind PsyberGuide, Laureate Institute for Brain Research, and Et Cere Inc. Dr. Niculescu is a cofounder of MindX Sciences and is listed as inventor on a patent application filed by Indiana University. Dr. Akiki and Dr. Hack had no relevant disclosures.
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.