If worry and stress affects you on a daily basis, researchers at the University of Essex would like to hear from you for a major study on Anxiety Disorders.

Funded by the Wellcome Trust, the research by the Department of Psychology is aiming to improve understanding of the processes that cause anxiety. The ultimate goal is to develop a simple computerised programme that could help reduce the amount of anxiety that people feel.

Volunteers will initially be asked to take part in a screening interview by telephone with one of the research officers, who will want to learn more about the anxiety experienced and also confirm suitability for the study.

There will then be an interview with Clinical Psychologist Dr Mike Luckie before a computer based task to be completed at the University's Colchester campus. People will be selected at random for different tests. One group will fulfil the computer task aimed at helping people with anxiety disorder while another will perform a non-treatment task. However, even if you are assigned to this group you will be given an opportunity to take part in the treatment version of the task once the experiment has been completed.

The results of this preliminary trial are expected in early Autumn.

If you are interested in taking part please contact either Kelly Garner or Anna Ridgewell on 01206 873784 or e-mail clinstudy@essex.ac.uk.

For further information or to arrange interviews with either Kelly Garner or Anna Ridgewell please contact the University of Essex Communications Office on 01206 874377 or e-mail comms@essex.ac.uk