Doctors urged to screen patients for anxiety.Photo:Getty ImagesDoctors are being urged to screen patients for anxiety — even if they’re not visiting their physician for mental health concerns.The guidance came Tuesday from the influentialU.S. Preventive Services Task Force, which published its recommendation in theJournal of the American Medical Association.According to the task force, patients aged 19 to 64 — including those who are pregnant or postpartum — should be screened for anxiety disorders. Last April, the task force recommended that all children ages 8 and olderbe screened for anxiety,“This is a call to action,” Dr. Wanda Nicholson,vice chair of the task force said.The recommendation comes after the Covid-19 pandemic pushed America intoa mental-health crisis, and some fear that increased diagnoses will strain an already-overburdened healthcare system.Doctors urged to screen all patients for anxiety.Getty Images“There’s a potential bottleneck at the beginning when we have a lot of professionals who are already stretched thin providing services to people who’ve had anxiety problems or depression that are persistent and chronic and therefore require more effort and energy,”Lynn Bufka, associate chief of practice transformation at the American Psychological Association, toldThe Washington Post.“If some of those individuals had gotten help sooner, they may not have required as long of a course of care.”Nicholsondid acknowledge the concern, saying, “We recognize that there can be limitations in terms of access to mental health providers within the health care system.“However, anxiety screening — whichis a generally a questionnairethat asks the patient to measure how often they feel “anxious” or “on edge” or “restless”— can help patients who are living with anxiety get help.“I’ve met with people who’ve been struggling with anxiety for so long that they’ve come to accept it as who they are,” Natalie Dattilo, clinical psychologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and instructor at Harvard Medical School, toldThe Washington Post.These patients “haven’t realized the ways in which their anxiety has kept them from doing things, and how limited their life has become as a result of the anxiety.”Although the task force’s advice isn’t mandatory, doctors generally do put their recommendations into practice.Last October, the task forcemade its first recommendationfor regular anxiety screenings, but held off on releasing its official guidance until now.But some doctors were careful to point out that not every anxious feeling is a symptom of deeper disorder.“We want to recognize that just because you’re having some of these problems — you’re irritable or you’re worrying often — that in and of itself does not mean you have an anxiety disorder,” Erlanger Turner, associate professor of psychology at Pepperdine University, toldThe Washington Post.“We want to recognize that anxiety is normal and that there is a continuum from mild to severe symptoms.”If you or someone you know needs mental health help, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
Doctors urged to screen patients for anxiety.Photo:Getty Images
Getty Images
Doctors are being urged to screen patients for anxiety — even if they’re not visiting their physician for mental health concerns.The guidance came Tuesday from the influentialU.S. Preventive Services Task Force, which published its recommendation in theJournal of the American Medical Association.According to the task force, patients aged 19 to 64 — including those who are pregnant or postpartum — should be screened for anxiety disorders. Last April, the task force recommended that all children ages 8 and olderbe screened for anxiety,“This is a call to action,” Dr. Wanda Nicholson,vice chair of the task force said.The recommendation comes after the Covid-19 pandemic pushed America intoa mental-health crisis, and some fear that increased diagnoses will strain an already-overburdened healthcare system.Doctors urged to screen all patients for anxiety.Getty Images“There’s a potential bottleneck at the beginning when we have a lot of professionals who are already stretched thin providing services to people who’ve had anxiety problems or depression that are persistent and chronic and therefore require more effort and energy,”Lynn Bufka, associate chief of practice transformation at the American Psychological Association, toldThe Washington Post.“If some of those individuals had gotten help sooner, they may not have required as long of a course of care.”Nicholsondid acknowledge the concern, saying, “We recognize that there can be limitations in terms of access to mental health providers within the health care system.“However, anxiety screening — whichis a generally a questionnairethat asks the patient to measure how often they feel “anxious” or “on edge” or “restless”— can help patients who are living with anxiety get help.“I’ve met with people who’ve been struggling with anxiety for so long that they’ve come to accept it as who they are,” Natalie Dattilo, clinical psychologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and instructor at Harvard Medical School, toldThe Washington Post.These patients “haven’t realized the ways in which their anxiety has kept them from doing things, and how limited their life has become as a result of the anxiety.”Although the task force’s advice isn’t mandatory, doctors generally do put their recommendations into practice.Last October, the task forcemade its first recommendationfor regular anxiety screenings, but held off on releasing its official guidance until now.But some doctors were careful to point out that not every anxious feeling is a symptom of deeper disorder.“We want to recognize that just because you’re having some of these problems — you’re irritable or you’re worrying often — that in and of itself does not mean you have an anxiety disorder,” Erlanger Turner, associate professor of psychology at Pepperdine University, toldThe Washington Post.“We want to recognize that anxiety is normal and that there is a continuum from mild to severe symptoms.”If you or someone you know needs mental health help, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
Doctors are being urged to screen patients for anxiety — even if they’re not visiting their physician for mental health concerns.
The guidance came Tuesday from the influentialU.S. Preventive Services Task Force, which published its recommendation in theJournal of the American Medical Association.
According to the task force, patients aged 19 to 64 — including those who are pregnant or postpartum — should be screened for anxiety disorders. Last April, the task force recommended that all children ages 8 and olderbe screened for anxiety,
“This is a call to action,” Dr. Wanda Nicholson,vice chair of the task force said.
The recommendation comes after the Covid-19 pandemic pushed America intoa mental-health crisis, and some fear that increased diagnoses will strain an already-overburdened healthcare system.
Doctors urged to screen all patients for anxiety.Getty Images
“There’s a potential bottleneck at the beginning when we have a lot of professionals who are already stretched thin providing services to people who’ve had anxiety problems or depression that are persistent and chronic and therefore require more effort and energy,”Lynn Bufka, associate chief of practice transformation at the American Psychological Association, toldThe Washington Post.
“If some of those individuals had gotten help sooner, they may not have required as long of a course of care.”
Nicholsondid acknowledge the concern, saying, “We recognize that there can be limitations in terms of access to mental health providers within the health care system.”
However, anxiety screening — whichis a generally a questionnairethat asks the patient to measure how often they feel “anxious” or “on edge” or “restless”— can help patients who are living with anxiety get help.
“I’ve met with people who’ve been struggling with anxiety for so long that they’ve come to accept it as who they are,” Natalie Dattilo, clinical psychologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and instructor at Harvard Medical School, toldThe Washington Post.
These patients “haven’t realized the ways in which their anxiety has kept them from doing things, and how limited their life has become as a result of the anxiety.”
Although the task force’s advice isn’t mandatory, doctors generally do put their recommendations into practice.
Last October, the task forcemade its first recommendationfor regular anxiety screenings, but held off on releasing its official guidance until now.
But some doctors were careful to point out that not every anxious feeling is a symptom of deeper disorder.
“We want to recognize that just because you’re having some of these problems — you’re irritable or you’re worrying often — that in and of itself does not mean you have an anxiety disorder,” Erlanger Turner, associate professor of psychology at Pepperdine University, toldThe Washington Post.
“We want to recognize that anxiety is normal and that there is a continuum from mild to severe symptoms.”
If you or someone you know needs mental health help, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
source: people.com
