Worrying Caucasian woman hugging legs

Older adults may be getting short-changed when it comes to treatment for anxiety. That’s according to a recent editorial in JAMA Psychiatry

The editorial took to task the recent U.S. Preventive Services Task Force draft recommendation to screen for anxiety in younger adults, but not for people over the age of 65. The task force stated “the current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of screening for anxiety in older adults.” 

The authors of the editorial cried foul, stating that anxiety disorders in older adults have been pernicious and pervasive for decades. Although the prevalence of many anxiety disorders can decrease with age, the authors speculated that could reflect the challenge of assessing and diagnosing anxiety in seniors. For example, older adults sometimes attribute symptoms of depression to physical ailments, complicating a diagnosis. The authors said a similar problem could occur in diagnosing anxiety. 

“Anxiety disorders in late life are both underrecognized and undertreated (e.g., only about one-third of older adults with generalized anxiety disorder receive any kind of treatment),” the editorial stated. “Overall, anxiety in late life is associated with greater disability and poor health-related quality of life, after controlling for medical burden and depressive symptoms.”  

Anxiety disorders include generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic attacks, phobias and social anxiety disorder, according to the National Institute of Health. GAD can cause restlessness, fatigue and headaches. Other anxiety disorders can cause more extreme physical responses, such as chest pain, extreme sweating and a racing heart. Some studies have even linked anxiety to stroke, heart disease and dementia. Anxiety can be aggravated by health conditions, such as thyroid problems and heart arrhythmia. Caffeine and some medications can also trigger anxiety. 

The authors said anxiety in older adults can be addressed with simple, straightforward treatments. They recommended selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, relaxation-focused cognitive behavioral therapy, or a combination of the three to alleviate anxiety in seniors