EMDR in Treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Written by: Wilson, G., Farrell, D., Barron, I., Hutchins, J., Whybrow, D., & Kiernan, M. D. (2018)
Edited By: EMDR-Zone Editorial Team
Content Warning: Please be advised, if you or someone you love is having suicidal thoughts, contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 898. Free, private support is available 24/7. Please also see our Get Help Now page for more immediate resources.
The future of PTSD therapy is here: EMDR's recent studies reveal its unparalleled effectiveness and swiftness in alleviating symptoms.
Study Objective and Design
The research, titled "The Use of Eye-Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy in Treating Post-traumatic Stress Disorder—A Systematic Narrative Review," was led by Gemma Wilson and her team. Their primary goal was to comprehensively assess the effectiveness of EMDR therapy in treating PTSD. They focused on strong evidence from Randomized-Controlled Trials (RCTs) and conducted two systematic searches to gather this evidence. The first search aimed to gather systematic reviews and meta-analyses, while the second focused on recent RCTs from 2014 to 2017.
Introduction to EMDR and Its Theoretical Framework
EMDR is a type of psychotherapy introduced by Shapiro in 1995. It's designed to help individuals process distressing memories, especially those related to traumatic events. Central to EMDR is the Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) model, which suggests that many psychological issues arise because certain traumatic memories haven't been properly processed by the brain. These "stuck" memories can lead to ongoing distress.
Research Methodology and Approach
The team conducted a rigorous search across various databases to find the most relevant and high-quality studies on EMDR. They first looked for systematic reviews and meta-analyses that summarized multiple studies. To ensure they had the latest findings, they also searched for newer studies conducted between 2014 and 2017. They used the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme tool to ensure the studies they selected were of high quality.
Key Findings from Meta-Analyses and RCTs
Two significant meta-analyses were highlighted in the review, one from Taiwan and another from China. Both indicated that EMDR therapy was effective in reducing PTSD symptoms. When compared to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), a well-established therapeutic approach, EMDR showed promising results. The Taiwanese meta-analysis emphasized the effectiveness of EMDR among adults, with many studies underscoring its benefits.
EMDR's Impact on PTSD Symptoms
The results were clear: EMDR therapy was effective in reducing PTSD symptoms and other trauma-related symptoms. EMDR therapy significantly reduced PTSD and related symptoms by 84%. It was also found to be more effective than other trauma treatments. Moreover, EMDR's effectiveness was observed across different cultural contexts, indicating its broad applicability. However, it's worth noting that some of the evidence was based on studies with small sample sizes, and there was limited data on long-term follow-up.
Conclusions and Recommendations for Future Research
The systematic narrative review reinforced the potential of EMDR as a treatment for PTSD. It highlighted the need for more research, especially with diverse clinical populations and across various cultural contexts. The review also emphasized the importance of larger sample sizes and the inclusion of long-term follow-up data in future studies.
For more detailed information, here is the link for the original article:
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00923/
.webp)