All children between the ages of 8 and 18 visiting primary care physicians should be screened for anxiety disorder. This is a recommendation, for the first time in history, from the American Prevention Committee, a group of experts who advise on the benefits or risks of various prevention strategies. The new directive demonstrates the mental health crisis affecting America’s youth. The committee also recommended that children between the ages of 12 and 18 be screened for depression.

Early diagnosis

The purpose of the committee’s proposals is the early diagnosis and treatment of mental health problems in minors. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 5.8 million young Americans suffer from an anxiety disorder and 2.7 million children suffer from depression, although in many cases the disorders are never diagnosed. These figures are for the pre-pandemic period, although there are strong indications that the situation has worsened over the past two years.

The committee’s recommendations point to the importance of early diagnosis of anxiety and depression, especially in asymptomatic people. A number of studies show that these disorders not only affect development, but may continue into adulthood.

“An anxious child will bite his collar at age three and bite his nails at age nine, and by high school he will struggle to keep up with school requirements,” says Teresa Hsu Wocklett, associate chair of the Department of Behavioral Disorders. sci. Health Montefiore Medical Group of New York. “However, a child’s struggles can go unnoticed by even the most attentive parents and teachers until the moment of puberty.”

If the child does not receive help, they may try to cope with their mental state in negative ways, such as avoidance or obsessive-compulsive behavior. More than 50% of children in the US with treatable mental health problems do not receive any treatment.

Suicidal tendencies

The committee also considered whether children and adolescents should be screened for suicidal ideation, but concluded that there was not enough evidence to suggest that this was necessary. However, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all children over the age of 12 be screened for suicidal tendencies.

It is expected that screening of children for anxiety and depression, whether through a questionnaire or other means, will be included in their annual physical examination with their pediatrician.