With youth mental health at crisis levels, the American Academy of Pediatrics issued new guidelines recommending mental, developmental and behavioral health screenings beginning at 6 months of age and continuing annually.
The American Academy of Pediatrics has issued a new recommendation: Children should be screened every year for mental, developmental and behavioral issues.
Why? Because America’s youth are facing a growing mental health crisis.
According to the AAP, up to 1 in 5 children—including kids as young as 2—live with conditions like anxiety, depression, ADHD and suicidal thoughts.
In fact, suicide is now the second leading cause of death among kids ages 10 to 14 and the third leading cause among teens and young adults.
The new clinical guidelines advise pediatricians to begin screening children at 6 months of age and continue at their 12-. 24-, and 36-month well visits…alternating between developmental and autism screenings.
After age 3, annual screenings for mental, developmental and behavioral issues are recommended.
The report says the goal is to spot issues before small problems grow into serious disorders and help families get expert advice and care.
The lead author says, “Supporting children’s mental health now helps them grow into healthy, capable adults. It’s one of the most important investments we can make.”
Source: Pediatrics
Author Affiliations: Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Perelman School of Medicine at Penn, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina
Copyright © 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Leave a Reply