Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health conditions in the UK, affecting over 8 million people at any one time. Whilst CBT and SSRIs remain first-line treatments, a new generation of trials is exploring rapid-acting anxiolytics, precision digital therapies, neurostimulation, and psychedelics. Here is what is actively recruiting.
The UK's NHS Talking Therapies programme (formerly IAPT) treats over 600,000 people per year for anxiety, yet roughly a third do not achieve reliable recovery. This treatment gap is driving a surge in clinical trials exploring alternatives and augmentation strategies.
Currently, there are over 150 actively recruiting anxiety trials in the UK, spanning pharmacology, digital health, neurostimulation, and psychotherapy innovation. The NIHR has prioritised mental health research, and the NHS Clinical Research Network supports multi-site anxiety trials across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
Types of Anxiety Trials
Novel Anxiolytics
Rapid-acting agents targeting neurosteroid, glutamate, and neuropeptide pathways. Moving beyond SSRIs and benzodiazepines to faster-onset, non-addictive treatments.
Digital Therapeutics
Prescription apps, AI-driven CBT platforms, virtual reality exposure therapy, and smartphone-based symptom monitoring with real-time intervention.
Neurostimulation
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), and vagus nerve stimulation targeting anxiety circuits in the brain.
PTSD and Trauma
MDMA-assisted therapy, EMDR optimisation, trauma-focused VR, and pharmacological enhancement of exposure therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder.
Novel Pharmacological Approaches
Whilst SSRIs and SNRIs remain the standard pharmacological treatment, several novel drug classes are in UK trials:
Neurosteroid modulators — zuranolone and similar GABA-A positive allosteric modulators offering rapid anxiolytic effects within days rather than weeks
Kappa opioid receptor antagonists — targeting stress-induced dysphoria and anxiety, with several Phase 2 trials in the UK
NK1 receptor antagonists — substance P pathway modulators being tested for social anxiety and GAD
Anti-inflammatory agents — minocycline, celecoxib, and other anti-inflammatory drugs being tested as anxiety augmentation based on the neuroinflammation hypothesis
D-cycloserine augmentation — used alongside exposure therapy to enhance fear extinction learning, with trials in phobias and social anxiety
Digital Therapeutics and Apps
The UK is a world leader in digital mental health trials, partly due to NHS infrastructure that supports large-scale deployment:
AI-driven CBT platforms — adaptive therapy apps that personalise session content based on real-time symptom tracking and natural language analysis
Virtual reality exposure therapy — VR environments for social anxiety (public speaking, social situations), phobias (heights, spiders, flying), and agoraphobia
Smartphone-based ecological momentary assessment — real-time anxiety monitoring with triggered micro-interventions when anxiety spikes are detected
Digital phenotyping — using smartphone sensor data (movement, sleep, screen use, voice) to detect anxiety exacerbation before the patient is aware
Internet-delivered CBT (iCBT) — enhanced versions of NHS Talking Therapies digital programmes with novel components like mindfulness, acceptance, and behavioural activation
Neurostimulation: TMS, tDCS, and Beyond
Non-invasive brain stimulation is emerging as a treatment option for treatment-resistant anxiety:
Repetitive TMS (rTMS) — targeting the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex to reduce anxiety symptoms, with protocols adapted from depression treatment
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) — portable, at-home devices delivering weak electrical currents to modulate anxiety-related brain circuits
Deep TMS — H-coil technology reaching deeper brain structures including the amygdala and insula, key regions in anxiety processing
Vagus nerve stimulation — non-invasive transcutaneous VNS devices (neck and ear) for generalised anxiety
Neurofeedback — real-time fMRI or EEG-based brain activity feedback training to help patients regulate anxiety-related neural patterns
PTSD-Specific Research
Post-traumatic stress disorder has become a major research focus in the UK, driven by military veterans, emergency services workers, and growing awareness of civilian trauma:
MDMA-assisted therapy — Phase 3 trials following breakthrough FDA designation, with UK sites in London, Bristol, and Manchester
EMDR optimisation — studies comparing standard EMDR with accelerated protocols, bilateral stimulation variants, and virtual reality-enhanced approaches
Cannabis-based medicines — trials of CBD and nabiximols for PTSD-related hyperarousal and nightmares
Prazosin for nightmares — large UK trials of the alpha-blocker prazosin specifically targeting PTSD-related sleep disturbance and nightmares
Stellate ganglion block — local anaesthetic injection targeting the stellate ganglion, being studied for rapid PTSD symptom relief
Concussion-related PTSD — trials addressing the intersection of mild traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress in sports and military populations
Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy
The UK has re-emerged as a centre for psychedelic research, with several anxiety-related trials active:
Psilocybin for treatment-resistant anxiety — Phase 2 trials at Imperial College London and King's College London exploring single-dose psilocybin with psychotherapy
MDMA for social anxiety — trials specifically targeting social anxiety disorder rather than PTSD, exploring MDMA's prosocial and fear-reducing properties
Ketamine for anxiety — intravenous and intranasal ketamine protocols for acute anxiety, including anxiety secondary to terminal illness (existential anxiety)
5-MeO-DMT — early-phase trials of ultra-short-acting psychedelics for anxiety in palliative care settings
All UK psychedelic trials are conducted in controlled clinical settings with trained therapists, and are strictly regulated by the MHRA and Health Research Authority.
Who Can Participate?
Eligibility depends on the specific anxiety disorder and trial type:
GAD trials — typically require a confirmed diagnosis of generalised anxiety disorder (GAD-7 score ≥10), often with a minimum duration of symptoms (6+ months)
PTSD trials — require a formal PTSD diagnosis (DSM-5 or ICD-11), usually with a specific trauma type (combat, assault, accident, medical trauma)
Treatment-resistant trials — require documented failure of at least 1–2 standard treatments (SSRIs, CBT)
Digital therapy trials — often have broader inclusion criteria; some accept subclinical anxiety or mild-to-moderate symptoms without requiring treatment resistance
Medication status — some trials require medication-free or stable medication for a minimum period; augmentation trials may allow concurrent treatment
💡 Tip: Know Your Anxiety Profile
Trial teams will want to know your specific diagnosis (GAD, PTSD, panic disorder, social anxiety, specific phobia), symptom severity scores (GAD-7, PCL-5, LSAS), treatment history (what you have tried and for how long), and any comorbid conditions (depression, substance use). Your GP or mental health team can provide a summary. Many trials include a comprehensive screening assessment at no cost.
UK Anxiety Trial Locations
Major UK centres running anxiety trials include:
London — King's College London, Maudsley Hospital, Imperial College, University College London, Queen Mary
Oxford — Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, University of Oxford Department of Psychiatry
Manchester — Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust
Bristol — University of Bristol, Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership
Edinburgh — University of Edinburgh, NHS Lothian psychological services
Glasgow — University of Glasgow, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
Cardiff — Cardiff University, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board
Sheffield — Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Foundation Trust
How to Find Your Match
Use our Smart Matcher to find anxiety trials tailored to your diagnosis, symptom severity, treatment history, and location. Whether you are looking for digital therapy, novel medication, neurostimulation, or PTSD-specific treatment, we can match you to actively recruiting studies.
Browse our anxiety condition page for all recruiting studies, or explore related conditions like depression (highly comorbid with anxiety) or schizophrenia if you are managing psychotic symptoms alongside anxiety.
Find Anxiety Trials For You
Our Smart Matcher uses your diagnosis, treatment history, and preferences to find the most relevant clinical trials.