Screening
Guidelines on screening for panic disorder vary according to country of practice. The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends screening for anxiety disorders in all adults aged 19-64, including pregnant and postnatal people. The USPSTF concludes that the current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of screening for anxiety disorders in adults aged 65 and over.[40] The USPSTF also recommends universal screening in primary care for anxiety in children and adolescents aged 8-18 years.[41] The Women's Preventive Services Initiative in the US recommends that clinicians screen women and adolescent girls aged 13 years and over for anxiety (including those without a diagnosis of anxiety disorder and those who are pregnant or postnatal). Optimal screening intervals are unknown and clinical judgment is required to determine frequency.[42]
Ask the following set of questions to recognise phobic cues, symptoms, and behaviours:
Do you feel intense anxiety or fear when confronted by certain animals, objects, or situations?
Are you avoiding these animals, objects, or situations because of your fear?
In what ways has this anxiety or fear interfered with your life?
How would you react if you were exposed to the animal, object, or situation right now?
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