Seniors
Seniors with anxiety frequently don ’ t get
help . Here ’ s Why .
By Judith Graham
Anxiety is the most common psychological disorder affecting adults in the U . S . In older people , it ’ s associated with considerable distress as well as ill health , diminished quality of life , and elevated rates of disability .
Yet , when the U . S . Preventive Services Task Force , an independent , influential panel of experts , suggested last year that adults be screened for anxiety , it left out one group — people 65 and older .
The major reason the task force cited in draft recommendations issued in September : “ the current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of screening for anxiety ” in all older adults . ( Final recommendations are expected later this year .)
The task force noted that questionnaires used to screen for anxiety may be unreliable for older adults . Screening entails evaluating people who don ’ t have obvious symptoms of worrisome medical or psychological conditions .
“ We recognize that many older adults experience mental health conditions like anxiety ” and “ we are calling urgently for more research ,” said Lori Pbert , associate chief of the preventive and behavioral medicine division at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School and a former task force member who worked on the anxiety recommendations .
This “ we don ’ t know enough yet ” stance doesn ’ t sit well with some experts who study and treat seniors with anxiety . Dr . Carmen Andreescu , an associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh , called the task force ’ s position “ baffling ” because “ it ’ s
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