A panel of experts is warning that doctors often fail to recognize anxiety in patients. Anxiety affects around 25% of men and 40% of women in the US at some point in their lives. The global pandemic resulted in a spike of anxiety and depression worldwide. However, primary-care providers are often not able to spot anxiety symptoms, leading to the condition being untreated for decades. These concerns prompted the US Preventive Services Task Force to issue a recommendation that primary-care providers screen adult patients younger than 65 for anxiety if they come in for reasons other than anxiety.
The panel's recommendation highlights that people often face systemic barriers to accessing treatment for anxiety. Racial disparities in wealth can lead to Black people and other minority groups having less access to mental health services. The task force hopes that its recommendation for screening will be a call to action to address these inequities and points out that screening is the first step to identifying anxiety.
Anxiety takes on different forms, including social anxiety and panic disorders, among others. Doctors typically screen for the condition by asking patients about symptoms such as worrying and nervousness. The panel recommends that pregnant and postpartum women receive priority screening for anxiety, given that they are at a higher risk. Children aged between 8 and 18 should also be screened for anxiety, according to the task force's latest report.
Michael Silverstein, the vice-chair of the panel, emphasizes that screening for mental health topics is essential for public health, adding that the Covid-19 pandemic has further highlighted how important it is to recognize and treat anxiety. With the task force's recommendation, doctors will be better equipped to identify anxiety symptoms, providing patients with necessary care.