Investigating Predictors of Outcomes From LENS

Investigating Predictors of Outcomes From LENS, a Cognitive Bias Modification for Interpretation (CBM-I) Training, in Adults With Elevated Anxiety

Anxiety is a very common mental health problem. For people living with anxiety, it can have a huge impact on their lives. There are treatments that can help, such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). However, about half of the people who receive treatment still struggle with anxiety after treatment is complete, and we do not yet know why. In this study, we hope to find factors that help explain why people respond differently to anxiety treatment. To answer this question, people in this study will receive a digital anxiety treatment called Learning Effective New Strategies (LENS). LENS is a type of brain training that helps people make less negative interpretations of uncertain situations and information. LENS has been proven to help reduce worry and anxiety, and improve mood (Hirsch et al., 2021). After participants finish LENS, we will measure how their patterns of thinking and mood changes over treatment and during the following five months. We will invite people to take part through multiple existing research studies (e.g. GLAD, TEDS) who have already shared their genetic data (information about their DNA). This way of recruiting would allow us to combine this genetic data with information from questionnaires to look for genetic and psychological factors that are linked with how well someone's anxiety improves after treatment. This research could help us understand what factors are linked to a person's outcomes from treatment. In the future, this could help health professionals personalise anxiety treatment and offer the right treatment to people sooner. This would mean that fewer people need to try multiple treatments before finding one that works. We hope this study will improve care for people living with anxiety.

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Anxiety
• Intervention / Treatment: Device: Learning Effective New Strategies (LENS)

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Estimated): 4400

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Colette R Hirsch; Phone Number: +44 (0) 20 7848 0697; Email: colette.hirsch@kcl.ac.uk

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Participants who have taken part in previous genetic cohort studies, namely GLAD, TEDS and Genes & Health, will be invited to participate in the study.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Adults over the age of 18
• Fluent in English
• Normal or corrected to normal hearing
• Normal or corrected to normal vision
• Currently experiencing anxiety (GAD-7 score ≥ 8)
• Access to stable internet connection
• Access to smartphone, laptop, computer, or tablet

Exclusion Criteria:

• Current high levels of suicidal ideation, as defined by a score ≥ 2 on Item 9 of the PHQ-9 OR score of 1 on Item 9 of the PHQ-9 and score ≥21 on the SIDAS
• Suicide attempt in past two years.
• Current or history of psychosis or bipolar disorder.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
General Anxiety Disorder-7 score	General Anxiety Disorder-7 score on GAD-7 questionnaire	8 week follow up

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: King's College London
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Colette R Hirsch, King's College London; Principal Investigator: Thalia Eley, King's College London; Principal Investigator: Gerome Breen, King's College London; Principal Investigator: Ewan Carr, King's College London

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): April 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): April 1, 2032
• Study Completion (Estimated): April 1, 2032

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 5, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 5, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): January 14, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): January 14, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 5, 2026
• Last Verified: December 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Anxiety Disorders
• Other Study ID Numbers: 363721

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No