Volunteers are being sought for four different studies of anxiety disorders by faculty and graduate students at the University of Maine's Psychological Services Center. In each case, participants will receive free confidential assessments and recommendations for treatment, according to Jeffrey Hecker, associate professor of psychology and director of the Center. In each study, volunteers will be interviewed on the phone and then in person. They will receive information about the nature of possible disorders they may have. If they meet criteria for participation in the studies, they will be assigned to an appropriate treatment project which can last up to 12 weeks.
All studies involve cognitive behavioral treatment.
Each of the studies is being conducted by students working under Hecker's supervision. His earlier research has focused on panic disorder, a condition marked by unexpected rushes of intense anxiety. He has shown that individuals can learn to cope effectively with that condition through use of a self-help workbook. He will also focus on how they pass through stages of improvement. Kristin Maki, a doctoral student from Boston, Mass., is studying anxiety associated with social situations such as speaking in public, dating and meeting new people.