(NewsNation) — As kids enter third grade, medical experts say they should be completely vaccinated. They should have their hearing and vision checked, too.
And that’s not all.
The United States Preventive Services Task Force is saying we’re not catching mental health issues early enough. They say children ages 8 and up need to be screened for anxiety.
Dr. Kelly Posner, a professor of psychiatry at Columbia University, says the new guidance is a “great step” in helping kids who suffer from anxiety and depression get access to mental health services.
Posner said there’s still a stigma surrounding mental illness, and that it leads to people not getting simple lifesaving antidepressant medicines, such as Prozac and Paxil, that they need.
“We as parents, as clinicians, as a community, need to think about these things like we do everything else … like blood pressure, or vision tests,” Posner added.