Anxiety: A Giving Smarter Guide

Anxiety is a natural and adaptive emotion that promotes vigilance against potential threats. However, anxiety that persists or is disproportionate to actual risk becomes dysfunctional and can impair daily functioning. In psychiatry, the term anxiety disorders refers to conditions (such as generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and others) defined by such maladaptive anxiety.

One in five adults experiences anxiety symptoms. The origins and symptoms vary widely, resulting from a dynamic and complex interplay among biological, psychological, social, and environmental factors. Even the underlying biology involves processes beyond the brain into the rest of the body. Further, anxiety varies across the lifespan, with children, adolescents, and elderly people being especially vulnerable. 

Biomedical research on anxiety disorders and developing therapeutics is an active field with immense opportunity for impact. However, research is often conducted in disciplinary silos, which limits a holistic understanding of the complexity of anxiety. Early-stage preclinical research often occurs separately from later-stage clinical research, slowing the development of effective therapies. High-risk populations, who often bear the greatest disease burden, are also underrepresented in such research. Treatment for anxiety remains suboptimal: Existing therapies often fail to reach people who need them, and there is a need to better match individuals to the most effective treatments.

Anxiety research is supported by both private and public funding. However, public funding for mental health in the US has declined in recent years. Additionally, only a few dedicated private funders focus directly on anxiety research. Progress in anxiety research and treatment will require focused funding and coordinated efforts from both sectors.

To support scientific progress in anxiety, the Dauten Family Foundation has partnered with Milken Institute Strategic Philanthropy’s Science Philanthropy Accelerator for Research and Collaboration (SPARC). Based on SPARC’s extensive review of scientific literature, analysis of public and private funding of anxiety, conversations with over 70 stakeholders, and an in-person convening of relevant experts, this Giving Smarter Guide presents five areas of opportunity that philanthropic funders are well-suited to improve:

• Connect and bridge bench and bedside research to advance the translation into more effective clinical treatments for anxiety.
• Study connections between the brain and the body in anxiety to reveal new therapeutic targets and identify biomarkers that predict treatment response.
• Characterize anxiety across diverse populations and strengthen research on risk and resilience across the lifespan.
• Improve the dissemination and implementation of existing evidence-based treatments for anxiety.
• Support the research and implementation of personalized approaches to anxiety clinically, across both diagnosis and treatment.