FILE PHOTO: An empty swing hangs on a playground at a middle school in NampaCHICAGO - An influential panel of U.S. experts recommended for the first time on Tuesday that primary care doctors screen all children ages 8 to 18 for anxiety, even if there are no symptoms.
The task force defined anxiety as a group of related conditions characterized by excessive fear or worry that manifest as emotional and physical symptoms. It recommended using screening questionnaires to identify children at risk, noting that studies show that children with such conditions benefit from treatment that may include cognitive behavioral therapy or psychotherapy.
In an editorial accompanying the task force's advice, Dr. John Walkup of the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital in Chicago and colleagues noted that the majority of psychiatric disorders, including the anxiety disorders, arise in childhood and adolescence, and welcomed the screening recommendations.The number of U.S.
The task force similarly found insufficient evidence to recommend routine screening of asymptomatic children or adolescents for suicide risk.
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