December 17, 2022
Nevada Mental Health's child psychiatrist Dr. Sid Khurana spoke with 13 Action News anchor Tricia Kean about the US Preventive Services Task Force recommending children ages 8 to 18 be screened for anxiety as a part of their annual checkup. The recommendation comes from the belief that mental health issues are not being caught early enough in children. Dr. Khurana explains that millions of US children suffer from anxiety and it is important to catch it early in order to prevent it from affecting a child's emotional development and education. Catching anxiety in children early can also help to prevent them from having trouble socializing and making friends.
Some critics argue that screening all children could lead to misdiagnosis, but Khurana explains that screening and diagnosing are two different things and that recommending further analysis for anxiety will not hurt a child. The US Preventive Services Task Force is independent of the US government and no official decision has been made yet on implementing this recommendation.
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