USPSTF Recommends Anxiety Screening Starting at 8 Years of Age

On October 11, 2022, the United States Preventative Service Task Force (USPSTF) released a recommendation in JAMA Network Open advising that all adolescents between 8 and 18 years old receive anxiety screenings. The formal guidance states that “the USPSTF recommends screening for anxiety in children and adolescents aged 8–18. (B recommendation) The USPSTF concludes that the current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of screening for anxiety in children seven 7 or younger. (I statement).”

The publication states that anxiety is one of the most common mental health disorders. The USPSTF notes that the risk of anxiety disorders in adulthood is associated with a history of anxiety in childhood.

According to the publication, screenings between 8 and 18 yield a moderate net benefit. Meanwhile, there is insufficient evidence for using anxiety screenings before 7 years old.

“Anxiety screening instruments that have been assessed by the USPSTF are heterogeneous. Some screening instruments are designed to assess for a specific anxiety disorder (e.g., the Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory for Children, which screens for social phobia and anxiety disorder), while others are designed to assess several anxiety disorders. Broader screening instruments used to identify children with several different anxiety disorders include the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders (SCARED) (global anxiety and any anxiety disorder) and the Patient Health Questionnaire–Adolescent (GAD and panic disorder),” stated the USPSTF in the publication.

The organization notes that these screenings are merely useful tools for providers. The positive screening does not necessarily mean that the patient has anxiety but can cue physicians to refer the patient for more in-depth testing.

An early diagnosis can allow for interventions such as psychotherapy, pharmacotherapy, and other interventional measures. Providers who care for adolescents should be mindful of these new recommendations and work to implement them in practice. While these recommendations are critical, the USPSTF shares that research gaps still need further analysis.