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Home › Conditions › Anxiety

Anxiety

Subtypes of Anxiety

Anxiety- and stress-related disorders 1 Colposcopy-related anxiety 1

119 published articles · Updated continuously

Clinical Trial Landscape

Clinical Trials for Anxiety

424 trials tracked for Anxiety: 86 in phase 3 or 4 and 25 with published results. The most-cited published study has 1436 citations.

424Trials tracked
86Phase 3 & 4
0Recruiting
25With published results
Phase distribution
Phase 4 44 Phase 3 42 Phase 2 47 Phase 1 9 Other / NA 282
  1. Phase 3 Child and Adolescent Anxiety Disorders (CAMS) Completed · 1,436 cited
  2. Phase 4 Primary Care Intervention Strategy for Anxiety Disorders Completed · 240 cited
  3. Phase 3 Long Term Chamomile Therapy for Anxiety Completed · 155 cited
  4. Phase 4 Drug Therapy for Generalized Anxiety Disorder Among the Elderly Completed · 131 cited
  5. Phase 3 Early Palliative Care With Standard Care or Standard Care Alone in Improving Quality of Life of Patients With Incurable Lung or Non-colorectal Gastrointestinal Cancer and Their Family Caregivers Completed · 129 cited
  6. Phase 3 Intravenous Immunoglobulin for PANDAS Completed · 124 cited
Show 44 more trials
  1. Phase 3 Memantine Treatment for Obsessive-compulsive Disorder and Generalized Anxiety Disorder Completed · 90 cited
  2. Phase 3 Comparison of Psychotherapy Programs to Treat Panic Disorder Completed · 82 cited
  3. Phase 3 Anxiolytic and Analgesic Effects of Melatonin Completed · 80 cited
  4. Phase 3 Music vs Midazolam During Preop Nerve Block Placement Completed · 79 cited
  5. Phase 3 Computerized Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Childhood Anxiety in Community Health Centers Completed · 65 cited
  6. Phase 4 Effectiveness of Long-Term Versus Short-Term Treatment of Generalized Anxiety Disorder With Venlafaxine XR Completed · 62 cited
  7. Phase 4 Preventing Post-Operative Delirium in Patients Undergoing a Pneumonectomy, Esophagectomy or Thoracotomy Completed · 46 cited
  8. Phase 3 Safety, Efficacy and Tolerability of Vilazodone in Generalized Anxiety Disorder Completed · 44 cited
  9. Phase 4 Pilot Study of Pharmaceutical and Behavioral Interventions to Treat Anxiety Disorders Completed · 37 cited
  10. Phase 4 Evaluation of Oral Midazolam in First-trimester Surgical Abortions Completed · 26 cited
  11. Phase 3 Safety, Efficacy and Tolerability of Vilazodone in (GAD) Generalized Anxiety Disorder Completed · 25 cited
  12. Phase 3 Safety, Efficacy and Tolerability of Vilazodone in Patients With Generalized Anxiety Disorder Completed · 25 cited
  13. Phase 4 Ziprasidone in Bipolar Disorder With Comorbid Lifetime Panic or Generalized Anxiety Disorder(GAD) Completed · 22 cited
  14. Phase 3 Brexpiprazole (OPC-34712) as an Adjunctive Treatment in Adults With Major Depressive Disorder and Anxiety Symptoms Completed · 22 cited
  15. Phase 4 Ketamine Infusion for Adolescent Depression and Anxiety Completed · 20 cited
  16. Phase 4 Cognitive vs. Emotional Psychopharmacological Manipulations of Fear vs. Anxiety Completed · 15 cited
  17. Phase 3 Self-management of Sedative Therapy by Ventilated Patients Completed · 4 cited
  18. Phase 4 Tenoten® in the Treatment of Somatoform, Stress-related and Other Neurotic Disorders Completed · 3 cited
  19. Phase 3 Comparing the Effect of Melatonin, Diazepam, and Placebo on Decreasing the Level of Anxiety Preoperatively Completed · 1 cited
  20. Phase 4 Intranasal Midazolam for Treatment of Anxiety in Children Undergoing Suturing in the Pediatric Emergency Department Completed
  21. Phase 4 Cardiovascular Biomarkers and Quetiapine in Depression and Anxiety Patients Completed
  22. Phase 4 Pharmacological Treatment of Generalized Anxiety Disorder in the Elderly Completed
  23. Phase 4 Intranasal Dexmedetomidine vs Intranasal Midazolam as Anxiolysis Prior to Pediatric Laceration Repair Completed
  24. Phase 4 Opioid Treatment for Chronic Low Back Pain and the Impact of Mood Symptoms Completed
  25. Phase 4 Paroxetine for Comorbid Social Anxiety Disorder and Alcoholism Completed
  26. Phase 4 Drug Treatment Validation of Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Generalized Anxiety Disorder Completed
  27. Phase 4 Quetiapine SR and Divalproex Sodium ER in the Treatment of Anxiety in Bipolar Disorder With Panic Disorder and/or GAD Completed
  28. Phase 4 Anxiety and Depression in Epilepsy: A Treatment Study Completed
  29. Phase 4 Use of Clobazam for Epilepsy and Anxiety Completed
  30. Phase 4 A Retrospective Effectiveness Trial of Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy in Adult Patients Coping With Mental Health Completed
  31. Phase 4 Disulfiram Combined With Lorazepam for Alcohol Dependence and Anxiety Disorder Completed
  32. Phase 4 Buspirone Treatment of Anxiety in Williams Syndrome Completed
  33. Phase 4 A Placebo-Controlled Study of Mirtazapine for PTSD Completed
  34. Phase 4 Combination of Paroxetine CR and Quetiapine for the Treatment of Refractory Generalized Anxiety Disorder Completed
  35. Phase 4 A Collaborative Care Program to Improve Treatment of Depression and Anxiety Disorders in Cardiac Patients Completed
  36. Phase 4 Randomized Control Trial of a Topical Anesthetic to Evaluate Pain and Anxiety During Venipuncture Completed
  37. Phase 4 Effects of Oxytocin on Behavior and Physiology in a Psychotherapy Setting Completed
  38. Phase 4 Stress Reduction Techniques and Anxiety: Therapeutic and Neuroendocrine Effects Completed
  39. Phase 4 Resistance Under the Microscope Completed
  40. Phase 4 D-Cycloserine Enhancement of Exposure in Social Phobia Completed
  41. Phase 4 PharmacofMRI (Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging) of Anxiolytic Medications (Alprazolam) Completed
  42. Phase 4 The Effects of Eszopiclone and Lexapro on Prefrontal Glutamate and GABA in Depression With Anxiety and Insomnia Completed
  43. Phase 4 Premedication With Melatonin and Alprazolam Combination Versus Alprazolam or Melatonin Alone Completed
  44. Phase 4 Escitalopram in Patients With Generalized Anxiety Disorder Completed

Showing the 50 most-cited and recently-updated of 424 trials. Browse the full registry →

Trial data sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. Counts describe the research landscape and are not a treatment recommendation. Informational only — not medical advice.

Anxiety: current evidence & treatments

Current evidence for anxiety interventions spans pharmacological, non-pharmacological, and lifestyle approaches. Esketamine significantly reduces postoperative anxiety (SMD -1.23) in adults 1. Among non-pharmacological interventions for older adults, dance and Tai Chi rank highest for anxiety, with dance showing superiority over CBT and usual care 3. Structured exercise modalities yield large effects on anxiety in adults (SMD -0.69 for university students) 18 and moderate effects in high-anxiety populations (Cohen's d -0.42) 7. Internet-based CBT modestly reduces anxiety in breast cancer survivors (SMD -0.14) 15, while universal digital interventions show small effects in children/adolescents (effect size 0.09) 9. Arts on Prescription programmes produce statistically significant but clinically modest reductions 14. VR combined with music therapy alleviates anxiety in diverse patients 8.

Several risk factors and biological correlates are associated with anxiety. High-potency cannabis products are linked to increased anxiety symptoms 4. Poor sleep quality (OR 4.00) and short sleep duration (OR 2.14) are strongly associated with anxiety in older adults 19. Gut microbiota alterations, including reduced diversity and pro-inflammatory taxa, are linked to anxiety in IBD patients 11. Genetic studies reveal sex-specific associations, with 21 lead SNPs in females versus 5 in males 2. Neuroimaging shows decreased amygdala-anterior cingulate cortex connectivity (effect size -0.54) in anxiety disorders 21. Eco-anxiety shows moderate positive associations with anxiety in young adults 6. Higher adherence to the EAT-Lancet diet is associated with lower anxiety risk 13. Interventions for extreme weather event survivors reduce anxiety symptoms 17. PROMIS Anxiety measures show moderate screening accuracy (AUC 0.81 for any anxiety disorder) 16.

Mind-body therapies reduce anxiety in cancer patients 22. Plant-derived compounds from Hypericum, Rhodiola, and Withania show preliminary potential for anxiety 10. The role of 2-AG and benzodiazepines remains mechanistically unclear 24. Exercise effects on anxiety are supported by multiple meta-analyses [5,7,18,25]. Telehealth expansion during COVID-19 partially disrupted mental health service utilization 12. Depression screening in ICU survivors predicts lower quality of life, with anxiety as a key factor 20. Anxiety and depression are associated with reduced cognitive flexibility and decision-making 23.

Key drugs in the evidence

propofol 1 esketamine 1 olanzapine 1 2-arachidonoylglycerol 1 ketamine 1 cannabis 1 parecoxib 1 benzodiazepines 1 fentanyl 1 Rhodiola rosea 1

Latest findings

AI-generated synthesis of 25 cited studies, updated Jun 12, 2026. How we use AI.

HCP Mode — summaries include clinical detail, trial data, and statistical outcomes.
Patient Mode — summaries use plain language, avoiding clinical jargon.
Meta-analysis suggests VR interventions reduce stress and anxiety in healthcare workers
Primary Care & Family Medicine Meta-analysis
Meta-analysis suggests VR interventions reduce stress and anxiety in healthcare workers Can virtual reality help healthcare workers feel less stressed and anxious right now?
This PRISMA-guided systematic review and meta-analysis pooled 10 studies (493 healthcare workers) examining virtual reality interventions fo…
Virtual reality lowered stress and anxiety scores by 0.64 points for healthcare workers in a new review of 493 participants.
Frontiers Apr 16, 2026
Omega-3 supplementation reduces stress, anxiety, and depression in Saudi adults over three months
Psychiatry RCT
Omega-3 supplementation reduces stress, anxiety, and depression in Saudi adults over three months Omega-3s Help Calm Stress And Improve Sleep
A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 64 Saudi adults found that omega-3 supplementation (500 mg EPA + 250 mg DHA) signifi…
A new trial shows omega-3 supplements significantly reduce stress, anxiety, and depression while improving sleep and memory in people with s…
Apr 15, 2026
Ten-week Baduanjin exercise improved sleep and mood in college students with Qi-deficiency constitution
Psychiatry RCT
Ten-week Baduanjin exercise improved sleep and mood in college students with Qi-deficiency constitution Could a gentle 10-week exercise routine help college students feel less anxious and sleep better?
This small randomized study enrolled 37 college students with Qi-deficiency constitution and sleep problems, assigning 18 to control and 19 …
Many college students struggle with sleep and anxiety, often feeling a sense of low energy or weakness.
Frontiers Apr 15, 2026
Mindfulness ecological momentary interventions improved engagement versus self-monitoring placebo in generalized anxiety disorder
Radiology & Imaging RCT
Mindfulness ecological momentary interventions improved engagement versus self-monitoring placebo in generalized anxiety disorder Who engages? Machine learning insights into digital mindfulness for anxiety
This randomized controlled trial enrolled 110 individuals with generalized anxiety disorder to compare mindfulness ecological momentary inte…
AI predicts who will stick with mindfulness apps before they start, helping people with generalized anxiety disorder who struggle to keep go…
Apr 15, 2026
Plasma NfL levels elevated in bipolar and depressive disorders in UK Biobank cohort
Psychiatry Cohort
Plasma NfL levels elevated in bipolar and depressive disorders in UK Biobank cohort Brain Scans Show Hidden Signals in Mental Health
A cohort study of 47,495 UK Biobank participants found plasma neurofilament light chain (NfL) levels were higher in bipolar disorder (d=0.20…
Blood tests now reveal hidden brain signals that distinguish depression from anxiety, offering clearer paths to the right treatment for mill…
medRxiv Apr 14, 2026
Anti-inflammatory diets show mental health benefits in adults, with most consistent improvements in depressive symptoms
Psychiatry Meta-analysis
Anti-inflammatory diets show mental health benefits in adults, with most consistent improvements in depressive symptoms Anti-inflammatory diets may help improve depression symptoms in adults with mental health issues
A scoping review of 42 RCTs and 23 systematic evidence syntheses in adults found that anti-inflammatory dietary interventions, such as Medit…
Adults with depression saw better mental health outcomes when following anti-inflammatory diets like the Mediterranean or DASH plans compare…
Frontiers Apr 14, 2026
Group-based TSC intervention mediates improvements in depression and anxiety via insomnia severity in adults with MDD
Psychiatry RCT
Group-based TSC intervention mediates improvements in depression and anxiety via insomnia severity in adults with MDD Did fixing sleep actually help depression, or was it just how patients felt about their rest?
This secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial examined 152 adults with major depressive disorder receiving a group-based Transdia…
Feeling like sleep improved drove the real gains in depression and anxiety, proving that how patients perceive their rest matters more than …
Apr 13, 2026
Mental health syndemics reduce ART adherence and impair viral suppression in people living with HIV
Nephrology Meta-analysis
Mental health syndemics reduce ART adherence and impair viral suppression in people living with HIV When HIV and Depression Collide, Treatment Suffers
This systematic review and meta-analysis of 32 studies involving people living with HIV (PLWH) examined the impact of mental health-related …
When depression, trauma, and poverty pile onto HIV, people struggle more to take their meds and keep the virus in check.
Frontiers Apr 13, 2026
High-frequency rTMS plus exercise reduced craving and negative emotions in methamphetamine use disorder
Physical Medicine & Rehab RCT
High-frequency rTMS plus exercise reduced craving and negative emotions in methamphetamine use disorder Magnetic Pulses Plus Exercise Lift Mood in Meth Recovery
A randomized trial in 54 male patients with methamphetamine use disorder found that adding high-frequency rTMS to physical exercise reduced …
Pairing gentle magnetic brain pulses with regular exercise helped people in recovery feel better and want meth less.
Apr 13, 2026
Phase 2 RCT finds AI-coached therapy improves depression and anxiety symptoms versus waitlist
Psychiatry RCT
Phase 2 RCT finds AI-coached therapy improves depression and anxiety symptoms versus waitlist AI Voice Coach Beats Waiting for Depression Help
A phase 2 RCT of 200 adults with depression/anxiety compared AI-coached problem-solving therapy (PST) via Alexa to human-coached PST and a w…
A voice-based AI coach matched human therapists in helping adults with depression and anxiety improve their mood and daily life after 18 wee…
medRxiv Apr 12, 2026
Virtual reality and podcasts reduce anxiety and pain during colposcopy in randomized trial
Psychiatry RCT
Virtual reality and podcasts reduce anxiety and pain during colposcopy in randomized trial VR and Podcasts Ease Colposcopy Fear
A randomized controlled trial of 90 women undergoing colposcopy found that both virtual reality and podcast interventions significantly redu…
Virtual reality headsets reduce colposcopy pain and anxiety better than podcasts or standard care, helping women feel safer during the exam.
Apr 10, 2026
My Cosmos preliminary evaluation shows positive usability and acceptance among university students and mental health professionals
Psychiatry RCT
My Cosmos preliminary evaluation shows positive usability and acceptance among university students and mental health professionals A Video Game That Helps You Manage Anxiety and Depression
This preliminary study evaluated the usability and acceptance of My Cosmos, an internet-delivered, mobile-first transdiagnostic digital CBT …
A new digital therapy program that feels more like a supportive game could help people stick with the hard work of managing their mental hea…
Frontiers Apr 10, 2026

Questions about Anxiety

What specific risk factors were found for preoperative anxiety in elective surgery?

Risk factors for preoperative anxiety in elective surgery include older age in children, parental anxiety, history of poor medical experiences, behavioral problems, and specific fears about anesthesia errors.

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Can a multicomponent preparation program lower preoperative anxiety in young surgery patients?

A multicomponent preparation program using clown-themed activities significantly lowers preoperative anxiety in young preschool children undergoing surgery.

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How does a clown-themed program help reduce preoperative anxiety in preschool children?

A clown-themed program helps preschool children before surgery by using distraction to lower anxiety scores, improve heart rate, and make them calmer during anesthesia induction.

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Do plasma NfL levels change in people with anxiety disorders compared to others?

Research from the UK Biobank found that people with anxiety disorders have lower plasma NfL levels compared to the general reference population, whereas those with depression or bipolar disorder show higher levels.

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Are polygenic risk scores linked to comorbid anxiety and depression cases?

Yes, polygenic risk scores (PRS) for anxiety and depression show stronger associations with comorbid anxiety-depression cases than with either disorder alone, suggesting shared genetic factors.

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Can digital CBT plus medication treat generalized anxiety disorder in a pilot trial?

Yes, a pilot trial found that adding a digital CBT program (Aurora) to medication was safe and showed preliminary benefits for generalized anxiety disorder symptoms.

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What are the delays in managing chronic insomnia and generalized anxiety disorder?

Delays in managing chronic insomnia and GAD often span years or decades due to symptom normalization, stigma, self-management, and fragmented care, with overreliance on medications and limited access to evidence-based therapies.

Full answer →
Does adding mindfulness help adults with generalized anxiety disorder on medication?

Yes, adding mindfulness to medication for GAD can reduce anxiety more than medication alone, based on a randomized trial showing significant improvements in clinician-rated and self-reported anxiety.

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See all 13 questions about Anxiety →