The US is calling a screen play

All US adults under the age of 65 should be routinely screened for anxiety disorders, and all Americans over 18 should be checked for symptoms of depression, a government-backed panel recommended yesterday.

🏥 More deets… This marks the first time the US Preventive Services Task Force – a panel of 16 independent volunteer experts – has recommended screening for anxiety disorders in its 38-year history. The move comes months after the panel issued similar draft guidance covering all Americans under the age of 18.

• The task force said it recommended the enhanced screening because the evidence for benefits (like effective treatments) outweighed any potential risks (like inaccurate results leading to unnecessary follow-up care).
• It also said there wasn’t enough evidence to decide whether or not screening all adults for suicide risk is ultimately helpful.
• Health insurers are often required to cover services recommended by the task force under a provision in the Affordable Care Act, per the WSJ.

🇺🇸 Zoom out… More than 30% of US adults reported having symptoms of an anxiety disorder or depressive disorder this summer, per estimates from the CDC’s’ Household Pulse Survey.

More broadly, ~40% of US women will be affected by an anxiety disorder at some point in their lives, as well as more than 1 in 4 men, said Lori Pbert, a task force member and psychologist researcher at UMass.