Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) treatment for psychologically traumatized individuals.
The effects of 3 90-min eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) treatment sessions on traumatic memories of 80 participants were studied. Participants were randomly assigned to treatment or delayed-treatment conditions and to 1 of 5 licensed therapists trained in EMDR. Participants receiving EMDR showed decreases in presenting complaints and in anxiety and increases in positive cognition. Participants in the delayed-treatment condition showed no improvement on any of these measures across the 30 days before treatment, but after treatment participants in the delayed-treatment condition showed similar effects on all measures. The effects were maintained at 90-day follow-up.
School of Clinical Psychology, Union Institute, Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA.
S A
SA
Wilson
L A
LA
Becker
R H
RH
Tinker
D000328:Adult; D001143:Arousal; D003887:Desensitization, Psychologic / Q000379:methods*; D005133:Eye Movements; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall; D008875:Middle Aged; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome