Task force recommends anxiety screens for all adults up to age 65

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force this week recommended that all adults ages 19 through 64 be screened for anxiety by their primary care provider (Source: “Primary care providers urged to ask about anxiety during checkups,” Washington Post, June 20).

The recommendation, published in JAMA, stems from concerns about a burgeoning mental health crisis, with growing concerns about depression, anxiety and suicide. Although the task force advice isn’t mandatory, its recommendations typically change the way doctors practice medicine in the United States.

The new guidelines state that asymptomatic adults ages 19 through 64, including those who are pregnant and postpartum, should be screened for anxiety disorders, using questionnaires and other screening tools.

In October, the group also recommended anxiety screening for children ages 8 to 18.

The task force looked at suicide risk, too, but said it did not have sufficient evidence to assess the benefits vs. the risks of screening for it, instead calling for more research to help make that determination.