Anxiety disorders impact more than 40 million persons in the United States. However, only 37% of people get therapy for the illness.
In light of this, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) now advises primary care doctors to routinely test persons under 65 who do not exhibit any signs of worry for anxiety disorders.
The task panel had previously advised doctors to do routine anxiety screenings on kids and teenagers between the ages of 12 and 18. The advice strengthens those made by primary care doctors for depression screening.
According to USPSTF experts, they have expanded the proposal to include those under 65 because the advantages of screening outweigh the risks.
Early detection and treatment of an anxiety problem are advantages of screening. One of the dangers is erroneous screening, which can lead to unneeded follow-up and care. Short surveys about anxieties and how they affect everyday functioning may be part of the screening process.
“Screening for anxiety can be included into medical care. Thea Gallagher, PsyD, a clinical psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry at NYU Langone Health, argues that doctors can inquire about anxiety and mental health at every checkup. “For physical wellness, we already practise this. The same thing needs to be done for mental wellness.
“Screening can pick up a lot of symptoms that you might not consider anxiety-related. A few symptoms of anxiety or stress include difficulty sleeping, jitteriness, impatience, or feeling on edge. According to Gallagher, these can make it difficult for a person to go about their regular lives.
Before the outbreak, a review that resulted in the revised recommendations was underway. Officials claim that the advice is pertinent, nevertheless, in light of the pandemic’s effects on mental health.
Primary care doctors may recommend someone for a more complete assessment by a mental health expert based on the screening results.
Dr. Christopher Dennis, the chief behavioural health officer at Landmark Health, stated that the task force’s findings indicated that “additional research is needed to recommend for or against screening for anxiety in persons over 65.”
In our experience, screening every patient, including those over 65, revealed previously undiagnosed and treatable illnesses. This enables us to actively include patients in their care and track their development, according to Dennis, who spoke to Healthline.
What is fear?
The occasional feeling of worry is a common occurrence, according to Dennis. “However, strong, excessive, and persistent worry and panic regarding commonplace circumstances are typically present in patients with anxiety disorders. Repeated episodes of abrupt or extreme anxiety, panic, or terror that peak in minutes are common in anxiety disorders.
Dennis continued, “These sensations of fear and panic disrupt daily tasks, are hard to manage, are out of proportion to the actual risk, and can endure for a long time.”
There are various varieties of anxiety, including:
- Disorder of generalised anxiety
- panic attack
- Disordered social anxiety
- trauma-related stress disorder
- Phobias
- Each anxiety disorder has its own symptoms, such as exaggerated, strong, or unreasonable fears. Shaking, sweating, heart palpitations, and chest pain are all symptoms of anxiety attacks. But it can also be a lingering, low-intensity fear or concern that keeps you from taking pleasure in or engaging in activities.
Although they are unsure of the precise source of anxiety, scientists think that it is caused by a combination of physical, emotional, and hereditary variables, including:
- Stress
- Anxiety or other mental health conditions run in families
- medical issues like diabetes, heart disease, or depression
- past abuse or trauma
- abusing drugs
- ongoing stressful circumstances, such as dangers at work
- remedies for anxiety
- Researchers have been examining how certain parts of the brain that regulate emotions and fear may play a role in anxiety disorders recently.
Anxiety can be effectively treated using methods like:
Psychotherapy, such as cognitive behavioural treatment and exposure therapy
Deep breathing exercises, yoga, and mindfulness are all effective ways to reduce stress.
Medication
A nutritious diet, frequent exercise, getting enough sleep, and abstaining from alcohol, caffeine, and smoking are all lifestyle modifications that can help lessen the symptoms of anxiety.
According to behavioural scientist and author of the book Your Happiness Hypothesis Clarissa Silva, MSW, “Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) has demonstrated effectiveness in treating numerous anxiety disorders.
According to Silva, some instances of CBT treatments include:
Recognizing how an anxiety trigger affects symptom expression is known as trigger acknowledgment. recording the events that led up to the episode in a journal
Trigger desensitisation is the process of repeatedly exposing you to a stimuli until it no longer makes you anxious.
Developing and implementing techniques to lessen and stop future instances of anxiety symptoms is known as trigger prevention.
“CBT is best given by professionals, however some self-monitoring methods and apps can temporarily ease symptoms. Relearning coping mechanisms is one of the best ways to avoid any anxiety triggers, she advised.
