Prevention of anxiety disorders

It is best if a disease does not get to break out in the first place. Therefore, an important focus of our work is to educate about and prevent anxiety disorders. Numerous studies in the past have determined that certain circumstances, risk factors, or personality structures contribute to the development of an anxiety disorder, but they have also shown that both a targeted provision of information and an intervention as early as possible can help prevent the onset of the disease. For this reason, the CAC develops prevention programs within the framework of clinical studies and is involved in public awareness work.

Through brochures and lectures, we do public relations work and educate about anxiety disorders. Our lecture series "Prevention and Treatment of Frequent Mental Disorders" has been established for years. It is aimed at all interested parties and always includes the topic of anxiety disorders.

We try to prevent anxiety disorders with several support programs in specific situations. For example, in cooperation with the Würzburg Diakonie (social welfare office), we offer a family consultation for families with a mentally ill family member, and specifically address children and young people in the project "Good times - bad times".

For students, in a pilot project, we developed the "Efficient Exam Preparation" program to prevent exam anxiety.

PANDA Study

The initials stand for “Prävention von Angst durch Angstsensitivitätstraining” ("prevention of anxiety through anxiety sensitivity training"). In the study funded by the DFG within the framework of the Collaborative Research Center TRR 58 "Fear, Anxiety and Anxiety Disorders", we try to identify risk factors for the development of anxiety disorders and to investigate the effectiveness of a prevention program in healthy people between 18 and 30 years of age. The program, which lasts about five weeks, consists of a training session on how to deal with physical sensations of anxiety and stress. The goal is to reduce the so-called anxiety sensitivity. This refers to the degree to which we listen to our inner voice and interpret the signals of our body as dangerous. You can find more information in the study leaflet.

German Center for Prevention Research on Mental Health

In December 2019, the German Center for Prevention Research on Mental Health was founded here in Würzburg - largely due to the grown and cross-linked infrastructure for the treatment and research of mental disorders. In cooperation with the CAC, the center pursues the goal of developing prevention programs to reduce mental disorders - including anxiety disorders -, evaluating their effectiveness, and making them available to the general public.