Screening check
Should my child be screened for anxiety?
About 7.8% of US children and teens aged 3 to 17 have a current anxiety disorder. The US Preventive Services Task Force recommends screening from age 8. Check what it says for your child.
About your child
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What you will see
What the USPSTF says about anxiety screening for your child.
Educational only, not medical advice. This is not an anxiety test and cannot tell whether your child has anxiety.
Source
US Preventive Services Task Force, October 2022 recommendation on screening for anxiety in children and adolescents.
Validated in
Children and adolescents 18 or younger without a diagnosed anxiety disorder and without recognized signs or symptoms of anxiety.
Limits
It is not an anxiety questionnaire. It does not cover youth already diagnosed or showing signs of anxiety.
What the USPSTF recommends
| Who | Recommendation | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Children and adolescents aged 8 to 18 | Screen for anxiety | B |
| Children 7 or younger | Evidence is insufficient to weigh the benefits and harms of screening for anxiety | I |
This was the USPSTF's first recommendation on the topic. It found no evidence on how often to screen; repeat screening may be most useful in teens with risk factors (USPSTF 2022). A screening tool alone cannot diagnose anxiety, so a positive result needs a follow-up assessment (USPSTF 2022).
Why it matters
Anxiety in childhood and adolescence is linked to a higher chance of a later anxiety disorder or depression (USPSTF 2022). All youth aged 8 to 18 are at risk, but risk factors include genetic, personality and environmental factors such as attachment difficulties, conflict between parents, parental overprotection, early parental separation and child mistreatment. LGBTQ and transgender youth and older teens aged 12 to 17 are at higher risk, as are children living in poverty (USPSTF 2022).
Why screening is recommended from 8
No studies tested screening directly. The USPSTF linked evidence on the accuracy of screening tools, which varied by tool and condition, with 29 treatment trials, and found a moderate net benefit for ages 8 to 18 (USPSTF 2022). Cognitive behavioral therapy improved treatment response and loss of diagnosis compared with usual care or a wait list, and medicines improved symptoms compared with placebo (USPSTF 2022). For children 7 or younger, evidence on the accuracy of tools and on treatment is lacking (USPSTF 2022).
Common questions
Which tools are used?
Two are widely used in practice: the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders (SCARED) and the Social Phobia Inventory. The Patient Health Questionnaire for Adolescents also screens for generalized anxiety and panic disorder (USPSTF 2022).
How is anxiety treated?
With talk therapy, most often cognitive behavioral therapy, medicine, both, or collaborative care, where the primary care clinician works with a behavioral health care manager and a psychiatrist. Duloxetine is the only medicine FDA approved for generalized anxiety disorder in children 7 or older (USPSTF 2022). Youth, their parents or guardians and the clinician should decide together (USPSTF 2022).
Are there harms?
False-positive results can lead to unneeded referrals, treatment, labeling, anxiety and stigma. Medicines can cause side effects, while talk therapy likely has minimal harms (USPSTF 2022).
What do other groups recommend?
The American Academy of Pediatrics and Bright Futures recommend yearly screening for behavioral, social and emotional problems, including anxiety, from birth to 21. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends confidential screening of all adolescents for mental health disorders at preventive visits (USPSTF 2022).
Also see the teen depression screening check, the adult anxiety screening (GAD-7), the eating disorder screening check and all screening tests by age.
Sources
- US Preventive Services Task Force. Screening for Anxiety in Children and Adolescents: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement. JAMA. 2022;328(14):1438-1444. www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/screening-anxiety-children-adolescents
- 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Call, text or chat 988; available 24/7, free and confidential. 988lifeline.org/
Written and maintained by the uncovermyrisk.com editorial team. We do not have a medical reviewer; every claim links to its primary source above. Last reviewed: 2026-10-30. Spotted an error? See About.