Anxiety detection and treatment in early childhood can lower risk for long-term mental health issues – an expert panel now recommends screening starting at age 8

People who experience anxiety in childhood are more likely to deal with it in adulthood too. fizkes/iStock via Getty Images Plus

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, an independent panel of experts in primary care and prevention, issued a final recommendation on Oct. 11, 2022, published in the journal JAMA, stating that all children and adolescents between the ages of 8 and 18 should be screened for anxiety, regardless of whether they have symptoms. The recommendation follows a systematic review that evaluated the potential harms and benefits of screening.

The Conversation asked Elana Bernstein, a school psychologist who researches child and adolescent anxiety, to explain the task force’s recommendations and what they might mean for kids, parents and providers.