U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Acknowledges Importance of Anxiety Screening
The distress screening tools in our portfolio can facilitate the process of systematic mental healthcare management among people impacted by cancer.
In recent years, the prevalence of people with anxiety has grown, especially with the existence of COVID-19. In just the first year of the pandemic, there was a global increase of 25% in people experiencing anxiety (WHO, 2022). The hardships of living through the uncertainties of an unprecedented pandemic only exacerbated the effects of anxiety and began to find its way into the lives of more people than ever before.
It's a concerning reality that many people who experience anxiety or another mental health disorder do not seek or receive care. The National Institute of Mental Health reported that only 43.2% of those with anxiety received care (NIMH, 2022).
With the rise in anxiety across the country comes the urgent need for national acknowledgment of the issue. That includes advocating for anxiety prevention and management practices. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPTF) recommends that adults under the age of 65 should be screened for anxiety disorders.
By publicly stating the need for adults to be screened for anxiety, the USPTF is paving the way to greater recognition of the prevalence of anxiety in adults, and the need for screening to help support people with anxiety.
Proper Tools for Anxiety Screening
At CSC, we have created mental health screeners for cancer patients, pediatric patients, and caregivers. Having a specialized questionnaire that screens for distress, anxiety, and depression in these populations creates a more targeted approach to mental health screening.
Our digital mental health assessment and referral platform, MyCareReport Platform, includes open-source mental health assessment surveys, providing comprehensive resources for clinicians to launch, store, and analyze mental health screenings. The platform also launches our proprietary validated distress screener CancerSupportSource, which assesses cancer patients and caregivers for distress, depression, and anxiety.
After completing a screening assessment, real-time, raw data is immediately exported and a personalized support care plan with referrals for support services is created. Providers receive a clinical report that includes a summary score of a patient’s results, including actionable clinical alerts to help staff triage a response.