New Recommendation Suggests Screening All Women for Anxiety

The Women's Preventive Services Initiative (WPSI) recently released new clinical guidelines suggesting all adolescent and adult women should be screened for anxiety as a way to improve early detection to provide earlier diagnosis and treatment if necessary and boost overall health as a result.

WPSI is a national coalition of women's health professional organizations and patient representatives, and provides recommendations intended to guide best practices for physicians and other healthcare providers in the primary care setting. The group developed these new suggestions after evaluating available screening tools and gauging the harm of undiagnosed anxiety in teens and adult women.

The 27 screening tools they evaluated ranged from good to moderate to poor for accurately identifying anxiety, and the 33 studies that were reviewed found that symptoms improved and relapse rates were lowered with better screening and treatment methods.

Additionally, many women may be facing more potential stressors during the COVID-19 pandemic. A 2020 study found men are increasing the amount of time spent doing housework and homeschooling, but that women still do the largest share of those tasks, potentially along with professional responsibilities and elder care as well.

Reducing the Stigma

Although the WPSI recommendation highlights the importance of anxiety screening for women, this type of mental health check-in can be a benefit for everybody, says Cheryl Carmin, PhD, a professor of clinical psychology at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. Because of COVID-19 related pressures—homeschooling, potential job loss, and deep uncertainty about what's ahead—anxiety levels have been spiking.

Rising anxiety isn't just for adults—children are susceptible as well. Another 2020 study tracked the effects of the stay-at-home orders on students in grades 2 through 6 in China. Among the 2,330 children who were surveyed, researchers found a 19% increase in levels of anxiety and a 23% increase in symptoms of depression. This means that parents everywhere may want to ask their pediatricians about mental health screening for their kids as well.

As is the case with any health condition, early detection can help prevent issues from becoming chronic. But for mental health concerns, that means getting through the stigma first.

Getting Help From Home

If there's a bright side to mental health during the pandemic, it's been the rise of telehealth, says Jennifer Gentile, PsyD, an attending psychologist in the division of endocrinology at Boston Children's Hospital, who treats some patients virtually using a telehealth app.

Because of widespread stay-at-home orders, more insurance companies have been open to covering the costs of telehealth services, and many healthcare providers that didn't have that service in place quickly moved to offering appointments remotely. That has included mental health services, even for new patients.

As employers recognize the need to have these resources available, there's also been a mini-boom in comprehensive apps focused on mental health, such as Lyra Health and Talkspace, which connect you with licensed professionals and are increasingly offered by employers. There are also self-help apps designed for individuals as well, like Anxiety Reliever, AnxietyCoach, and Happify.

Being able to stay in a comfortable, familiar environment like home while addressing anxiety concerns may lead more people to give screening and therapy a try, Gentile says.

A Word From Verywell

If you find yourself struggling with emotional and mental health challenges and experiencing signs of anxiety and/or depression—which can also manifest as physical symptoms like fatigue, chronic pain, headaches, and stomach pain—talk with your primary care physician or other healthcare provider for appropriate referrals.

You may be able to do telehealth sessions with a therapist or counselor, even as a new patient.

The information in this article is current as of the date listed, which means newer information may be available when you read this. For the most recent updates on COVID-19, visit our coronavirus news page.