Why Basically Everyone Should Be Screened for Anxiety Disorder
A prolonged pandemic, rising crime, economic instability: all good reasons to visit your doctor to get tested for anxiety, at least that’s what the federal government says. This advice isn’t just for people already experiencing mental health issues — this week the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, an advisory group led by the Department of Health and Human Services, released a recommendation that all Americans under the age of 65 get screened for anxiety. . (This is probably normal and good advice for the government, right?)
Part of the task force’s goal is to identify hidden or underreported mental health disorders so they don’t go untreated, and one of its main findings is that it’s not surprising that the upheavals of the past few years have left many people anxious. As noted, the board refers to inflation. crime rates, fear of disease, and loss of loved ones due to COVID-19 as potential reasons you might be concerned, but feel free to add global warming, the spread of fascism, and the continued existence of spiders to the list, if you like. Whatever the cause, the percentage of adults reporting recent symptoms of an anxiety or depressive disorder rose from 36.4% to 41.5% between August 2020 and February 2021, according to the study the group cites. Here’s what you need to know about anxiety screening.
How does screening for anxiety disorder work?
It’s not mandatory, but doctors across the country are expected to start prioritizing anxiety screening in response to the board’s advice, so if you make an appointment, your doctor will likely be available to do the initial screening. This usually takes the form of a questionnaire that your doctor will use to look for signs of a possible anxiety disorder. From there, you may be referred to a mental health professional for a diagnosis or to be told that you have no symptoms of the disorder.
If you end up being diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, things get a little fuzzy. The standard of care is therapy and/or medication that has been proven effective for most people in just a few months, but it is far from guaranteed that you will get access to the level of care you need. As the New York Times notes, Dr. Jeffrey Staab, psychiatrist and chair of the department of psychiatry and psychology at the Mayo Clinic (not a member of the task force) , the US lacks mental health professionals at all levels. and a screening program won’t be very useful if it doesn’t lead to treatment for people who need it.
This is not the only potential trap. “If wen providers say, ‘You must have a disorder, here, take this,’ we may run into an over-prescribing problem,” says Staab. “But the opposite scenario is that we have a lot of people who should not suffer. Both outcomes are possible.”
Why Anxiety Screening Can Help Fight Systemic Racism
Task Force member Laurie Pbert, a clinical psychologist and professor at the University of Massachusetts Chan School of Medicine, said another potential benefit of mass screening for anxiety disorders is combating racism, implicit bias and other systemic health equity issues. Screening everyone, not just those who look like they fit the typical anxiety patient image, can ultimately lead to a more equitable distribution of mental health resources. To some extent, anyway: the distribution of treatment and resources is likely to continue to favor those who are likely to actually see a primary care physician regularly.
What should people over 65 do?
The Task Force did not recommend anxiety screening for people over 65 because “anxiety symptoms are similar to normal signs of aging, such as fatigue and generalized pain.” This makes me think that we should develop better tests for anxiety so that we can make sure older people don’t suffer from anxiety unnecessarily, but I’m not a medical researcher.