Panel recommends adolescent screening for anxiety, depression

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force on Tuesday recommended that children and teens be screened for anxiety and depression — the first time the advisory panel has issued such a recommendation.

The move follows a push by Congress and the Biden administration to address youth mental health after data has shown an increase in mental health challenges for young people in recent years that was further amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The task force, an independent, volunteer panel of national experts in prevention and evidence-based medicine, advises that children 12 or older be screened for depression and children ages 8 and older be screened for anxiety. Both recommendations received a B grade and are finalized.

Under the 2010 health care law, most private insurance plans must cover recommendations that receive an A or B grade from the task force as a preventative service.

“The Task Force reviewed the evidence on screening for anxiety, depression, and suicide risk to provide primary care professionals with guidance on how they can help support the mental health of children and adolescents,” task force member Martha Kubik said in a written statement. “Fortunately, screening older children for anxiety and depression can identify these conditions so children and teens can receive the care that they need.”

The recommendations are intended for children and teens who do not already exhibit symptoms of depression or anxiety. Adolescents showing signs of either condition should be connected to appropriate care.

Children and teens with a genetic predisposition for these conditions who have experienced trauma, parental troubles, childhood abuse or bullying are also at increased risk, as are adolescents who identify as LGBTQ. Multiple aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic may also contribute to increased mental health symptoms.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data from its Feb. 18 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report showed that weekly emergency room visits for girls 12 to 17 years old increased for five mental health conditions in January 2022 compared with 2019.

Depression in particular increases the risk of suicide attempts or suicide deaths. Suicide is the second-leading cause of death in adolescents aged 10 to 19, but the panel did not issue a definitive statement related to screening for suicide.

The task force gives each recommendation a rating of A, B, C, D or I. A and B statements mean a service should be offered. An I statement, meanwhile, means the panel does not have enough data to recommend or not recommend a guidance.

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