The United State Preventive Services Task Force released a new recommendation statement pertaining to screening individuals for anxiety disorders. 

The task force is now recommending that all adults between the ages of 19 and 64, including pregnant and postpartum women, undergo screening for anxiety disorders, even in the absence of a history of mental health disorders and/or signs and symptoms of such conditions.  

Justifying their recommendation, the task force noted that anxiety disorders often go undetected in primary care settings, which can result in years-long delays in treatment. The task force determined that there is adequate evidence to support the notion that screening tools can appropriately identify these disorders in an adult population; there also is ample evidence on the benefits of psychological interventions and pharmacotherapy in reducing associated symptoms, the USPSTF summary noted. 

“To achieve the benefit of screening for anxiety disorders and reduce disparities in anxiety disorder-associated morbidity, it is important that persons who screen positive are evaluated further for diagnosis and, if appropriate, are provided or referred for evidence-based care,” the USPSTF summary reads. 

This is the first time that the task force has recommended screening for anxiety disorders in an asymptomatic adult population. The new recommendation follows a systemic review commissioned by USPTF to assess the benefits versus harms of these screenings. 

Multiple studies and clinical trials were included in the review, as was ample data on conditions such as generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder and anxiety not otherwise specified.  

The recommendation does not advise on screening intervals, however, as there is insufficient evidence on optimal timing of such assessments. In the absence of this evidence, USPSTF suggested that a pragmatic approach “might include screening all adults who have not been screened previously and using clinical judgment in considering risk factors, comorbid conditions, and life events to determine if additional screening of high-risk patients is warranted.” 

The full recommendation can be viewed here.