Mental Health Awareness Month: Advancing Empathy and Personalization in Care

Each May, we recognize Mental Health Awareness Month—a time to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and reflect on the critical role mental wellness plays in overall health. At Helix, we’re proud to stand with health systems, providers, and patients in advancing access to more personalized, data-driven care for mental health.

A Shared Responsibility

Supporting mental health isn’t the job of any one organization, discipline, or sector. It’s a shared effort—and as a company working at the intersection of genomics and health care, we believe we have a responsibility to contribute in meaningful, lasting ways.

One area with clear promise is pharmacogenomics (PGx), which helps providers tailor treatment to individual patients. For millions managing depression, anxiety, ADHD, and other mental health conditions, the path to effective treatment is often long and frustrating. Trial-and-error prescribing can take a toll—not just emotionally, but also physically and financially.

That’s where PGx comes in. By helping providers understand how a person’s genes may influence their response to certain medications, PGx testing may help optimize treatment, which could potentially reduce adverse drug reactions, improve adherence, and drive better outcomes.

With our unique Sequence Once, Query Often® platform, patients who have previously had their exomes sequenced at Helix can access future genetic tests without submitting another sample*—delivering results within minutes and enabling for the first time, access to genetic insights at point-of-care.

A Comprehensive Approach to PGx

Helix offers a comprehensive PGx test, as well as ten targeted PGx panels to address specific clinical needs. Developed with input from leading clinicians and health systems, our tests assess multiple drug-gene interactions across diverse populations using our Exome+® assay and comprehensive star allele caller. This information is designed to provide additional context to support provider decision-making.

Why It Matters to Health Systems

For health system leaders, investing in PGx isn’t just about innovation—it’s about impact. When integrated thoughtfully into clinical workflows, PGx can help support quality improvement initiatives, potentially address medication-related complications, and support the shift towards more personalized, preventative care.

Mental Health Awareness Month reminds us that mental health is health. As we continue building partnerships with health systems, Helix is committed to supporting clinicians with tools that honor the complexity of care—and the individuality of each patient.

Caring for Helixers, Too

This month, we also focused inward—prioritizing mental health within our own teams. Guided by the theme “Proactively Protecting My Peace”, Helix employees participated in a series of activities designed to encourage rest, reflection, and community care. These included “Choose Your Own Calm” Bingo challenges with simple, daily self-care prompts, mini-guided meditation drop-ins to reset and recharge, a walk & talk challenge to promote movement and connection and a “Be Seen in Green Day” to show solidarity and reduce stigma. We ended the month with a Table Talk with two of Helix’s leaders as they shared how mental wellness plays a vital role at every level in the workplace. We’re proud of our Mental Health Employee Resource Group and all those who help cultivate a culture where mental well-being is openly supported and prioritized.

Looking Ahead

Mental Health Awareness Month reminds us that empathy, personalization, and science all have a role to play in improving outcomes. We’re proud to be part of a broader community working toward a future where mental health care is not only more effective—but more human.

This month and every month, we stand with those advocating for better mental health care, and we remain committed to being a supportive partner on that journey.

Let’s work together to bring more clarity, compassion, and precision to mental health treatment.

*As of May 2025, >99% of tests do not require the submission of another sample

Note: The information provided in this blog is for educational purposes only. While pharmacogenomic testing may provide useful information to healthcare providers, individual results and benefits may vary. Patients should consult with their healthcare providers about whether PGx testing is appropriate for their specific situation.