Routine assessment of anxiety among adolescents in a primary care clinic

Approximately 20% to 25% of all adolescents experience significant symptoms of anxiety, but only half of those adolescents are diagnosed and treated. Recent clinical guidelines recommend routine assessment of adolescent anxiety symptoms in the primary care setting to improve the rates of identification and treatment of anxiety in this population. The objective of this project was to increase early identification and referral for treatment of adolescent anxiety during primary care visits.

This project used the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 screening tool to assess anxiety symptoms in adolescents in a school-based primary care clinic. Upon arrival to the clinic, adolescent patients completed the brief self-assessment. The provider then used the assessment score to determine the need for further assessment and referral for treatment.

Of the 51 participants, 21.6% were referred to a mental health provider following assessment, compared with 1.2% of adolescent patients seen in the 6-month period immediately preceding the project.

The results indicate that screening for symptoms of anxiety in adolescents using a brief self-assessment survey is an effective method for achieving the desired outcome of increased identification and referral for treatment of anxiety symptoms in this population.