Warren County Connection A Publication of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Warren County
December 2022
Youth and Anxiety: Screening Is Essential Young people ages 8 to 18 should all receive an annual screening for anxiety, according to a new recommendation by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, a volunteer panel of experts who make public health recommendations.
In this issue:
The goal is to identify mental health conditions earlier and direct youth to treatment that can help a problem most or all of the time. (This includes from becoming worse. anxiety, but also other issues like depression and suicidal thoughts.) The screening is important because it can be difficult for parents and care- The new recommendation will most givers to identify anxiety in children likely result in anxiety screenings beand teens. Young people may excoming a regular part of annual press worries verbally, but their anxi- check-ups. A variety of questionety can instead present itself as irri- naires can help medical providers tability or frustration. Anxiety can identify young people who need furresult in physical symptoms such as ther assessment and treatment. Such trouble sleeping, fatigue, headaches, an assessment would help determine or stomachaches. Research whether a young person is having a shows that half of young people with tough period or experiencing an onmental health disorders never regoing mental health issue that affects ceive a diagnosis or treatment. their daily life. Current data show that youth mental health has been on a downward spiral since the COVID-19 pandemic. Before the pandemic, nearly 8 percent of U.S. youth were diagnosed with anxiety. Recent surveys show that number has risen as young people coped with social distancing and then re-entry into social situations. In a 2021 survey, more than 30% of U.S. high school students reported that their mental health was not good
For young people who are diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, the standard treatments are therapy, prescription medications, or a combination of the two. The most common, evidence-based treatment is cognitive behavioral therapy which can be delivered either in-person or online. There is one prescription medication, a serotonin–norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, approved by the (Continued on page 8)
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The Pleasures of Indoor Gardening
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Hosting a Food Drive
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Hosting Holiday Meals on a Budget
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Strengthening Family Bonds During the Holidays
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Family Budget Coaching
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How Can My Pet Better My Health
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