U.S. doctors should routinely screen all adults under age 65 for anxiety, an influential group of health guidelines suggested Tuesday.
This is the first time US Preventive Services Task Force recommended screening for anxiety in primary care for asymptomatic adults. Proposals are open to public comment until October 17, but the group usually confirms its draft guidance.
Recommendations based on reviews start first Pandemic caused by covid-19, a review of studies showing potential benefits and risks from screening. Lori Pbert, a task force member and co-author, said the guidance on the rise in mental health issues related to isolation and the stress of the pandemic is “very timely”. time”. Pbert is a research psychologist at the University of Massachusetts Chan School of Medicine.
The task force says the evidence of benefits, including effective treatments, outweighs any risks, including inaccurate screening results that could lead to inadequate follow-up care. necessary, needs.
Anxiety disorders It’s one of the most common mental health complaints, Pbert notes, affecting about 40% of U.S. women at some point in their lives and more than a quarter of men.
Blacks, those living in poverty, those who have lost a spouse, and those with other mental health problems are adults who face a higher risk of developing anxiety, may manifest as panic attacks, phobias, or feelings of constant anxiety. In addition, about 1 in 10 pregnant and postpartum women experience anxiety.
Common screening tools include brief questionnaires about symptoms such as fear and anxiety that interfere with usual activities. The task force said these could easily be provided in a primary care setting, although it did not specify how often patients should be tested.
“The most important thing to realize is that screening tests are not enough to diagnose anxiety,” says Pbert. The next step is a more thorough evaluation by a mental health professional, although Pbert acknowledges that finding mental health care can be difficult due to the lack of specialists.
Megan Whalen, a 31-year-old marketing specialist who was diagnosed with anxiety in 2013, says that conventional doctors should screen for mental health problems as common as they are for physical problems. matter.
Whalen, of Hoboken, New Jersey, says: “Health is health, whether the problem is visible or not.
She got help from medication and talk therapy, but she symptoms got worse during the pandemic and she temporarily moved back to her hometown.
“The pandemic made me scared to leave the house, the anxiety of telling me that anywhere outside of my childhood home was unsafe,” Whelan said. “I really still struggle with feeling terrified and scared at times. It’s just a part of my life at this point, and I try to manage it as best I can.”
The task force says there isn’t enough solid research on older adults to recommend for or against screening for anxiety in people 65 and older.
The group continues to recommend adult depression screening and kidsbut said there is insufficient evidence to assess the potential benefits and harms of suicide screening in asymptomatic adults of concern.
In April, the group released Similar draft instructions for children and adolescents, recommended anxiety screening but made it clear that more research is needed on the potential benefits and harms of screening children with no obvious symptoms.
Guidelines from the task force often determine coverage, but anxiety has been on the radar of many primary care physicians. In 2020, one Coporation, group Affiliated with the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends routine primary care anxiety screening for women and girls beginning at age 13.
Melissa Lewis-Duarte, a wellness coach in Scottsdale, Arizona, says that rhythmic breathing, meditation, and making a daily list of three things she’s grateful for have helped ease her anxiety.
“Doctors say, ‘Make sure you’re sleeping, control your stress.” Yes, I get it, “but not everyone knows how,” said the 42-year-old mother of three. “It’s hard to prioritize self-care, but it’s necessary.”
