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worsening condition mental health among children He encouraged an influential group of experts to refer all children aged 8 to 18 to screening for the first time for one of the most common concerns, anxiety. childhood mental health disorders.
A draft of the new guide, open to general commentIt will likely be completed within this year. Released on Tuesday by the US Preventive Services Task Force, a panel of volunteer experts appointed by a federal government agency to advise healthcare providers on clinical preventive care.
task force, Created in 1984 It has no regulatory authority by Congress; however, their recommendations carry weight among clinicians.
Child psychologist Stephen PH Whiteside said it’s “really important” to screen more kids for anxiety. The director of the Pediatric Anxiety Disorders Clinic at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., is not on the task force. “Most children who need mental health care don’t get it.”
This may be especially true for those with anxiety, he added.
Children with behavior problems are more likely to be described as needy, but if children with anxiety disorders aren’t causing problems at school or at home, they “can easily slip through the cracks,” she said.
The epidemic just continued exacerbate the problems children experienced.
Why is early diagnosis important?
The US task force recommended screening for anxiety regardless of whether a clinician is experiencing any signs or symptoms.
“Being able to intervene before a life is interrupted is crucial,” said Martha Kubik, a member of the task force and also a professor at the George Mason University School of Nursing in Fairfax, Va.
Childhood anxiety disorders have been associated with an increased risk of later depression, anxiety, behavior problems, and substance abuse. report From the Child Mind Institute, a nonprofit that provides therapy and other services to children and families with mental health and learning disabilities.
The task force said it doesn’t yet have enough evidence to recommend screening children younger than 8 for anxiety. The panel of experts continues to recommend screening for depression for children 12 years and older.
How will the scan work?
Dr. Kubik said there are several different surveys and questionnaires that can be used to screen for anxiety in primary care.
Some of these tools target specific anxiety disorders, while others can scan for a variety of disorders and the length of each scanner may vary. “What our review found is that these screening tools are effective at picking up anxiety in teens before they show obvious signs and symptoms,” he said.
Dr. Children will ideally be screened during annual well-child visits, Kubik said, but clinicians should be open to screening opportunities during other visits as well.
Experts said that if a screening device indicates that a child needs additional support, it is not a diagnosis but rather a starting point for a broader discussion for further follow-up, which may include referral to a mental health provider.
“Psychotherapy is first-line therapy,” said Tami D. Benton, chief psychiatrist of child and adolescent psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Medication may be needed if anxiety is impairing the child’s ability to function normally or if psychotherapy alone is not effective, she added.
Finding a mental health provider It’s not necessarily a quick or easy task, but scanning is no less important, experts said.
Co-director of the Autism Spectrum Center, Dr. As more young people are identified in need of help, “it begins to put pressure on many of the decision makers and those who pull the strings of the purse,” including insurers, Carol Weitzman said. He’s at Boston Children’s Hospital and a spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics. “We need to shine a light on the mental health needs of children, youth and adolescents in this country and advocate for better access to mental health care.”
Other organizations have their own processes for making recommendations separate from those of the US task force.
Dr. Weitzman said the AAP is in the process of developing more tools and resources to support pediatricians in screening for anxiety.
What about the risk of suicide?
While the task force stressed the need for additional research, it said there was insufficient evidence to recommend automated screening for suicide risk in children and adolescents who are asymptomatic.
However, the AAP recommends regular screening for suicide risk in children 12 years and older. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among children aged 10-19.
“Many children keep their suicidal thoughts to themselves—they don’t bring up the topic unless asked about it—so when you screen all children 12 and older it helps create a sense of safety net, it’s okay to talk about it,” said Ms., also a developmental-behavioral pediatrician. Dr. Weitzman.
How common is anxiety in children?
By Centers for Disease Control and PreventionMore than 7 percent of children ages 3 to 17 have been diagnosed with anxiety. However, Dr. “Many children who struggle with anxiety may not necessarily be diagnosed,” Benton said. For example, a representative household survey at the national level one out of every three teenagersor about 30 percent meet the criteria for an anxiety disorder.
And a study A study published in JAMA Pediatrics found significant increases in anxiety and depression diagnosed among children between 2016 and 2020, as well as decreases in the emotional well-being of caregivers.
How do you know if your child needs help?
If you’re worried that your child may be struggling with anxiety, experts recommend speaking to your child’s pediatrician or another primary care clinician who can help differentiate the type that is indicative of a problem or disorder that occurs with typical anxiety.
Experts agree that some degree of anxiety is perfectly normal and to benefit by helping to keep us safe and conscientious. In addition, there may be periods in our lives when anxiety can become stronger; these are also normal, and whatever the circumstances, some children are more prone to worry than others.
However, persistent anxiety that interferes with a child’s daily life can be indicative of an anxiety disorder. Experts said they look out for the following signs, especially if they reflect changes in previous behavior:
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Eating too much or too little
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sleeping more or less than usual
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falling notes
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Relationship changes
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irritability
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Anger
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sensitivity to criticism
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Loss of interest in activities
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Physical symptoms such as headache or stomachache
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Problems with separation from caregivers and resistance to going to school or sleeping alone
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