title: Treatment of traumatized refugee children with Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing in a psychodynamic context.
abstract: This study examines the effects of a psychodynamic approach of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) in treatment of traumatized refugee children. Among a child psychiatric outpatient refugee team, 13 children with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), were treated by EMDR incorporated in a traditional psychodynamic therapeutic approach. The Posttraumatic Stress Symptom Scale for Children (PTSS-C) and the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) were administered before and after the treatment, to measure the effects. After treatment, a significant improvement was noticed in the functioning level and all PTSS-C scales, mostly in re-experiencing and least in the avoidance symptoms. The improvement in the functioning level was significantly correlated with the reduction of the PTSD-non-related and the depression, but not with that of the PTSD-related symptoms. Used in a psychodynamic context, EMDR is suggested to be effective treatment for traumatized refugee children. Our findings support the hypothesis of child-specific criteria for PTSD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Uppsala University Hospital, Sweden. reetoras@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Reet
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Oras
authors.forename: Susana Cancela
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: de Ezpeleta
authors.forename: Abdulbaghi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ahmad
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D003887:Desensitization, Psychologic / Q000379:methods*; D005133:Eye Movements; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D010348:Patient Care Team; D010552:Personality Assessment; D011567:Psychiatric Department, Hospital; D011575:Psychoanalytic Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D012036:Refugees / Q000523:psychology*; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D013548:Sweden; D016896:Treatment Outcome