New Recommendations: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Encourage Mental Health Screenings for all Pediatric Patients Ages 8-18

The COVID-19 pandemic has left an indelible mark on the healthcare landscape. A byproduct of the pandemic is a major need for population based mental health screenings in all primary care and pediatric settings. Presentation of mental health concerns is now at an all-time high, especially among children and adolescents. 

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force is an "independent, volunteer panel of national experts in disease prevention and evidence-based medicine" that makes recommendations specifically towards prevention. The Task Force recently released a comprehensive report regarding the need to screen children and adolescents for mental health concerns, especially anxiety, and concluded that screenings for anxiety in children and adolescents aged 8 to 18 years are recommended as a best practice in primary care. Similar recommendations indicating all adults under 65 should be screened for anxiety were released by the expert panel in September 2022. 

Our children and grandchildren have suffered numerous losses throughout the pandemic, from the challenges of remote learning to setbacks on standardized testing. For example, a recent report from NPR cites that "reading scores saw their largest decrease in 30 years, while math scores had their first decrease in the history of the testing regimen behind the study, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, a branch of the U.S. Education Department." Without a doubt, anxiety levels for our children are at an all-time high. Yet, our children are the future, and how are we meeting their needs and mitigating the risks of underdiagnosed anxiety? The report shows that the "success of a screening initiative depends on the availability of a sensitive and specific screening process for detecting a disorder and safe and effective treatments for persons identified." 

QHSLab, Inc. recently launched the "Q-Scale" Assessment, or "Quality of Life" Scale, a digital medicine assessment tool for screening patients potentially who may be suffering from mental and emotional health-related issues. The Q-Scale is a 10-question digital health 10-item questionnaire designed to measure psycho-emotional factors in patients, even pediatric patients, who might be at risk of mental health issues. Five categorical ratings are available for response to each item, ranging from "'None of the time" to "'All of the time."' If responses to the Q-Scale indicate potential mental health troubles, patients are directed to the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ), General Anxiety Disorder (GAD) assessment and Kessler-6 questions within the assessment to identify their clinical risk of anxiety and depression for further specialized evaluation. If the responses to the questions categorize the patient as "at risk" for mental health issues, including anxiety and depression, QHSLab will inform physicians through a simple-to-read report of the need for a more focused evaluation during their encounter with the patient or active referral to a mental health specialist. 

Pediatricians and primary care physicians are on the frontline of healthcare. They are often the first resource patients turn to when expressing a mental health concern - or uncovering an undiagnosed mental health condition. These physicians desperately need digital tools to help them screen for conditions, including mental and emotional health concerns. QHSLab provides efficient screening that aligns with reimbursement guidelines but also offers a suite of digital patient education content through podcasts and other mediums - covering various topics, including physical activity, nutrition, sleep, chronic pain, progressive relaxation, and mindfulness exercises. Therefore, the physician can screen, diagnose and provide easy-to-access education programs to assist most patients suffering from mild to moderate anxiety and depression and help improve the trajectory of the next generation's mental health.