Task force recommends children 8 and over get screened for anxiety

CNN --

According to the CDC, between 2016 and 2019 nearly 6 million children were diagnosed with anxiety while another 3 million were diagnosed with depression. Since 2016 the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force has urged screening for depression in children aged 12 and older.

Now the task force is urging parents to get their children screened as early as 8 years old for anxiety. Both recommendations are meant for children who do not have a diagnosed mental health condition. The task force says this should help doctors catch depression and anxiety early on.