Your child’s next visit to the pediatrician may include something new: questions about their worries and fears.

Physicians across the country are likely to screen their patients for anxiety after an influential group of experts last week recommended it for children ages 8 to 18, signaling the need for early intervention during a worsening national mental health crisis. The task force advice isn’t mandatory, but its recommendations typically change the way doctors practice medicine in the United States.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force found that screenings, which consist of a standard set of questions, helped identify anxiety in children and adolescents who are not showing signs or symptoms, allowing them to be connected with treatment early.

The Washington Post spoke to Dr. Jennifer Bernard, a pediatrician and internist at Saint Luke's Primary Care—Southridge, about what parents and children can expect during a screening.

Read the full Washington Post article: Anxiety Screening May Happen at Your Child's Next Doctor Visit. Here's Why.