Anxiety is one of the most prevalent mental health conditions, with an estimated 31.1% of US adults who is going to develop a anxiety disorder at some point in their life. Whether you have generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, separation anxiety disorder, and/or phobias, anxiety comes in many different forms.
And over the course of the pandemic, an increasing number of people began to realize the importance of protecting their mental healthhaving experienced anxiety and depression first hand. To address this growing concern, the US Preventive Services Task Force recently recommended that physicians provide a anxiety screening for adults under the age of 65 and, more recently, for children eight years and older.
Why screening for anxiety disorders is important
Screening for anxiety disorders is crucial because it is an incredibly common and prevalent condition. However, most people do not receive treatment for it.
Early detection, identification, and treatment are important when it comes to reducing symptoms, improving the quality of life and better prognosis Holly Schiff, PsyD, licensed clinical psychologist, states. Anxiety can go unnoticed for years as sometimes the symptoms can manifest themselves differently. This evaluation will help continue to address our nation’s pressing mental health crisis.
“Suggested new guidelines indicate the need to screen for anxiety for everyone ages eight and older. Recent CDC findings indicate a significant increase in mental health problems that have increased during the pandemic and now [are] resulting in a looming mental health epidemic,” Dr Anjali Gowda Ferguson, clinical psychologist, explains. Universal mood screenings can preemptively target interventions and supports for people with the hope of preventing serious mental illness.
Related: Is someone you love dealing with anxiety? Here are four practical ways to help them
What will the anxiety assessment process be like?
The exact recommended procedures are still under development, but screening for anxiety may be a relatively quick, easy, and affordable implementation that can be performed in many primary care and medical settings.
Typically, clinicians trained in mental health can use anxiety rating scales and brief assessments to provide recommendations for treatment or further evaluation, says Dr. Ferguson. Many medical providers are also trained to provide these brief evaluations.
Doctors will use brief screening tools that are appropriate for use in primary care, and all positive screening results should lead to further evaluation to confirm the diagnosis and determine the severity of symptoms, explains Dr. Schiff.
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This is only the first step toward a diagnosis, and providers should be cautious that a positive screening test does not necessarily indicate a clinical disorder. The assessment should reveal the need for additional support and, when appropriate, clinicians should provide referrals to mental health providers.
In addition, the public will be part of the process, with the option to comment on the draft recommendations until October 17. Having the ability for the public to comment on the draft recommendations will help health experts see what is working and what is not. in order to arrive at the best possible projection.
Getting honest feedback will ensure that the evaluation is as effective and productive as possible, says Dr. Schiff.
“From an inclusion and accessibility standpoint, it’s always a great idea to get community input when implementing interventions that directly impact people,” says Dr. Ferguson. “Lived experiences can provide valuable insights and alternative perspectives that need to be considered whenever we build programming.”
Related: The 14 Best Foods to Help Reduce Anxiety, Plus Three Foods to Avoid
How anxiety screening tests could change the future of mental health
Theoretically, it can help target needed interventions to people sooner and potentially offset or prevent the development of serious mental illness. Similarly, it can also significantly overload a system that is already under-resourced, explains Dr. Ferguson.
“Our mental health systems in this country need significant support and resources and need to be overhauled in many ways,” he says. “Integrating these evaluators without also increasing resource support can potentially result in more strain and tax on our mental health systems.”
This may also change the future of mental health, because it will now highlight those who may have gone under the radar before. This screening will identify those who need additional support and hopefully increase access to mental health care for all those who are struggling, Dr. Schiff says, and that’s a very good thing.
Next: What is an anxiety attack and how do you stop one? Take a deep breath and read on
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