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USPSTF 2022: Screening for anxiety is recommended in children and adolescents aged 8 to 18 years (B recommendation)
Clinical Question
What are the benefits and harms of screening for anxiety in children and adolescents?
Bottom line
This first-time US Preventive Services Task Force review recommends screening for anxiety in children and adolescents aged 8 to 18 years (B recommendation). The most commonly used screening tools include the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale, the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders, and the Social Phobia Inventory. Among the studies that evaluated screening tools, the false positive rates (per 1000 persons screened) ranged from 17 to 361 for generalized anxiety disorder screening and 104 to 254 for social anxiety disorder screening. 2c
Reference
Study design: Practice guideline
Funding: Government
Setting: Various (guideline)
Synopsis
Available evidence confirms that screening can accurately identify anxiety in children and adolescents aged 8 to 18 years. Treatment of anxiety with psychotherapy and/or pharmacotherapy can improve anxiety symptoms and disease remission/resolution. However, no studies reported on overall health benefits of screening versus not screening — meaning that no screening may produce similar health outcomes to treating only symptomatic individuals who seek out medical care. This again raises the issue of potential inadvertent harm from false positive results and "disease labeling." Screening for anxiety is also recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics, Bright Futures, and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
Reviewer
David C. Slawson, MD
Professor and Vice Chair of Family Medicine for Education and Scholarship
Atrium Health
Professor of Family Medicine, UNC Chapel Hill
Charlotte, NC
Comments
Screening for anxiety in kids
It is very distressing that anxiety disorders are so prevalent in children
Depistage
La question d’un dépistage est utile mais encore faut-il avoir les services de psychothérapie spécialisée en enfance qui n’est pas facile même dans les villes et encore moins évident dans les centres avec une densité moins grande
USPSTF 2022: Screening for anxiety is recommended in childre
Level = 2c - reminds me of expert opinion, and even the experts don't agree.
Has there been a study of any correlation made between the anxiety of the children with the anxiety of the parents (or "overachievement").?
Has there been a study of any correlation made between social status (wealth, income, position) and anxiety?
Anxiety screening
Sensable
screening for anxiety in 8-18 yr olds
lots of false positives