U.S. Preventive Taskforce Suggests Children Ages 8+ Screened for Anxiety, Depression

The U.S. Preventive Taskforce, a panel of volunteer experts appointed by a federal government agency to make recommendations to health care providers about clinical preventive care, is suggesting all children are screened for mental health disorders starting at age 8. They cite worsening mental health conditions across the United States as the reason for the change.

“Many kids struggling with anxiety may not necessarily be diagnosed,” said Tami D. Benton, MD, Psychiatrist-in-Chief, Executive Director, and Chair of the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at CHOP. “Screening would be the first step in getting these children the help they need before their anxiety grows into a more serious problem.

Read her interview with The New York Times here.