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April 12, 2022 – The U.S. task force recommended screening for anxiety regardless of whether a clinician has been looped into any signs or symptoms.

“It’s critical to be able to intervene before a life is disrupted,” said Martha Kubik, a member of the task force who is also a professor in the School of Nursing at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va.

Childhood anxiety disorders have been linked to an increased risk for later depression, anxiety, behavior problems and substance abuse, according to a report from the Child Mind Institute, a nonprofit that provides therapy and other services to children and families with mental health and learning disorders.

The task force said it did not yet have enough evidence to recommend for or against screening children younger than 8 for anxiety. The panel of experts continue to recommend depression screenings for children 12 and older. 

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