Recommended Screening Kids for Anxiety and Depression

From U of Colorado School of Medicine:

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic began, anxiety disorders were one of the most common mental health concerns among children. Pre-pandemic, health care providers and caregivers could expect a third of children to meet the criteria for anxiety disorders by the time they were through adolescence.

Now, evidence is showing that the pandemic exacerbated anxiety disorders among youth, as well as depression and suicidal thoughts and behaviors.

In response to this growing crisis, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recently recommended for the first time that children 8 and older be screened for anxiety. They further recommended that children 12 and older be screened for depression.

In the announcement of these recommendations, Task Force member Martha Kubik, PhD, RN, noted, “The Task Force reviewed the evidence on screening for anxiety, depression, and suicide risk to provide primary care professionals with guidance on how they can help support the mental health of children and adolescents. Fortunately, screening older children for anxiety and depression can identify these conditions so children and teens can receive the care that they need.”

Read more here.