Influential panel raises doubts on youth suicide screening

By LINDSEY TANNER
AP Medical Writer

An influential panel is raising doubts about routine suicide screening for U.S. children and teens, even as other groups have called for urgent attention to youth mental health. In draft guidance posted Tuesday, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force says there’s not enough evidence to recommend routinely screening kids who show no obvious signs of being suicidal. The document is open for public comment for a month, and opposing voices are already weighing in. Many experts agree that more research is urgently needed but argue that there’s no evidence that asking kids about suicide could cause harm.