skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Treating Anxiety Not Seen as One-Size-Fits-All Solution

play audio
Play

Thursday, September 22, 2022   

Expanded anxiety screenings could have a long-term positive impact on the health of Missourians, according to mental-health advocates.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force is proposing routine anxiety screening in primary care for adults younger than 64 without symptoms. According to the panel, 40% of women and 26% of men experience an anxiety disorder in their lifetime, often starting in childhood.

Gena Terlizzi, executive director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness-Missouri, explained anxiety disorders are much different from the anxious feelings a person may experience throughout their life.

"Anxiety, worry and doubt, these are all normal human emotions," Terlizzi noted. "The difference is, is it something that is impacting your ability to function as a person, to function as a member of your family, to function in your role in the workplace."

Terlizzi suggested regular anxiety screenings in a medical setting could help normalize the conversation between doctor and patient, and remove some of the societal stigma associated with mental-health conditions. She added a patient might not even realize they are experiencing anxiety because it can manifest in different ways, including stomachaches or trouble sleeping.

Anxiety screenings for children are already part of a primary-care visit. And in some communities, Terlizzi acknowledged medical professionals are the de facto mental-health care provider because there aren't enough to go around right now. She recommended patients discuss treatment options with their doctor.

"Not every positive screening needs to lead to a diagnosis, a referral to a specialist, and a treatment plan with medication and therapy," Terlizzi emphasized. "It's not a one-size-fits-all solution."

She stressed it would be an ideal if everyone who experiences anxiety could get in-depth treatment. But she pointed out the screening process itself could be beneficial.

"Someone with low or moderate anxiety, perhaps that person has resigned themselves to thinking, 'This is just how people feel. This is just how I am.' Finding the name of the problem is a step toward finding a solution and that in itself can very much provide a sense of relief," Terlizzi advised.

Besides helping the patient, regular screenings will help provide a better overview of how many people experience an anxiety disorder, which is underreported.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
Many factors affect a customer's bill amount, including energy usage, weather, and the number of days in a billing period, according to Arizona Public Service. (Jason Yoder/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …


Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…

Social Issues

play sound

A mix of policy updates and staffing boosts has helped to put wage theft enforcement on the radar in Minnesota, and officials leading the efforts are …


More than six in 10 Americans favor keeping the abortion pill mifepristone available in the U.S. as a prescription drug, while over a third are opposed, according to a Gallup poll. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

New research shows more than six in 10 abortions in the U.S. last year were medically induced, and U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto - D-NV - is …

Social Issues

play sound

Colorado is working to boost the state's agricultural communities by getting more fresh, nutritious foods into school cafeterias - and a new online …

Social media platform X temporarily shutdown searches of "Taylor Swift" following the release of explicit deepfake images in early 2024. (Mdv Edwards/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Missouri lawmakers are concerned with protecting people from the potential risks of the increasing accessibility of AI-generated images and videos…

Social Issues

play sound

A 2023 study from the University of Nebraska Medical Center concluded the number of Nebraskans with a mental health or substance abuse disorder has pr…

Environment

play sound

A farm group is helping Iowa agriculture producers find ways to reduce the amount of nitrogen they use on their crops. Excess nitrates can wind up …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021