Dr. Emer Leahy, Ph.D., MBA, Chief Executive Officer, PsychoGenics & Allan Malievsky, Patient Advocate
Scientist and Patient Perspectives: The Imperative for Mental Healthcare Innovation
By: BioNJ
Many Americans have a family member, friend, or loved one who lives with a mental health condition. Mental health disorders impact more than one out of every five U.S. adults. In the Garden State, approximately 1,112,000 adults – over three times the population of Newark – have at least one mental health condition. Children and adolescents are also subject to a myriad of mental health conditions, with one in six American youth impacted by at least one mental health disorder, such as depression or anxiety. High schoolers with depression are twice as likely to leave school than their peers, and in 2020, over 3.8 million adolescents contemplated ending their lives. In historically underserved communities, mental health crises are common and increase risks of developing chronic disease, substance abuse habits, or a disability, all of which can require external intervention from community members, healthcare professionals, or the State.
There are few effective mechanisms to address the growing mental health crisis. The journey to diagnosis can be long and taxing, as symptoms often overlap between different conditions. Once a Patient receives a diagnosis, they are quickly presented with another hurdle: access to care. Only 28% of Americans live in an area where there are enough mental health resources to provide for the community’s needs. Even if an individual is lucky enough to have access to a treatment center, it is likely they will have to try several treatment methods to discover one which is effective for their condition.
“We know more about space exploration than we know about the human brain. There are 100 billion neurons in our brains and they are forming very complex networks of connections that determine who we are, how we walk, talk, sleep, how we behave, how we respond to stress, trauma, tragedy, etc. And because of that complexity, it can be very difficult to diagnose mental illness.” – Dr. Emer Leahy, CEO, PsychoGenics Inc.
On average, it takes 11 years after symptom onset for people suffering from a mental condition to receive effective treatment, a process that can be both pricey and dangerous for individuals with fragile mental states. Even when treatment is available and effective, over 88,000 New Jersey residents rejected mental health treatment because of the cost, which can be particularly burdensome for low-income and uninsured individuals. Furthermore, stigma related to common mental illnesses discourages Patients from seeking care, especially amongst racial minorities and low-income communities.
Access to and efficacy of current mental health treatments remains an impediment to addressing this crisis across the nation. The U.S. loses $193.2 billion in expected earnings because of mental health crises and disabilities. To ensure Patients in need can receive adequate care, innovative new healthcare solutions must be introduced to help Patients access necessary care needed to manage their symptoms and improve their quality of life.
Dr. Emer Leahy, Ph.D., MBA, is a biopharmaceutical leader in pursuit of improved access to treatment options for Patients impacted by mental health conditions. As the CEO of PsychoGenics Inc., a discovery company focused on central nervous system and orphan disorders, Dr. Leahy and her team work around the clock to research and develop innovative treatments and technologies for mental health conditions.
Allan Malievsky has struggled with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and depression since youth. His experience trying standard and unconventional treatments with varying success led him to work in the pharmaceutical industry, helping other impacted individuals find medical resources which suit their mental health needs.
BioNJ sat down with Dr. Leahy and Malievsky to discuss why continued investment into the mental healthcare sphere is critical to ensure new mental health treatments are brought to market, and how access to innovative medications will drastically change the quality of life for Patients living with a mental health condition.
Dr. Leahy is also the Chair of the BioNJ Board of Trustees.
