title: Efficacy of eye-movement desensitization and reprocessing for patients with posttraumatic-stress disorder: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We performed the first meta-analysis of clinical studies by investigating the effects of eye-movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy on the symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, and subjective distress in PTSD patients treated during the past 2 decades.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a quantitative meta-analysis on the findings of 26 randomized controlled trials of EMDR therapy for PTSD published between 1991 and 2013, which were identified through the ISI Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO, and the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature electronic databases, among which 22, 20, 16, and 11 of the studies assessed the effects of EMDR on the symptoms of PTSD, depression, anxiety, and subjective distress, respectively, as the primary clinical outcome.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The meta-analysis revealed that the EMDR treatments significantly reduced the symptoms of PTSD (g = -0.662; 95% confidence interval (CI): -0.887 to -0.436), depression (g = -0.643; 95% CI: -0.864 to -0.422), anxiety (g = -0.640; 95% CI: -0.890 to -0.390), and subjective distress (g = -0.956; 95% CI: -1.388 to -0.525) in PTSD patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study confirmed that EMDR therapy significantly reduces the symptoms of PTSD, depression, anxiety, and subjective distress in PTSD patients. The subgroup analysis indicated that a treatment duration of more than 60 min per session was a major contributing factor in the amelioration of anxiety and depression, and that a therapist with experience in conducting PTSD group therapy was a major contributing factor in the reduction of PTSD symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Nursing, College of Nursing, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan, and Taoyuan Armed Forces General Hospital, Longtan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ying-Ren
authors.initials: YR
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yuan's General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Kuo-Wei
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Hung
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Taipei Medical University-Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Jui-Chen
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.affiliation: Institute of Aerospace and Undersea Medicine, School of Medicine, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Neurology, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hsin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Nursing, College of Nursing, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan, and Taoyuan Armed Forces General Hospital, Longtan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Min-Huey
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, College of Nursing, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Su-Ru
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Nursing, College of Nursing, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan, and Taoyuan Armed Forces General Hospital, Longtan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yuan-Mei
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Biomedical Materials and Tissue Engineering, College of Oral Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Research Center for Biomedical Devices and Prototyping Production, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Research Center for Biomedical Implants and Microsurgery Devices, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Dentistry, Taipei Medical University-Shuang-Ho Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Keng-Liang
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Ou
authors.affiliation: Department of Mathematics, Tamkang University, Tamsui, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yue-Cune
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Nursing, College of Nursing, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan, and Taoyuan Armed Forces General Hospital, Longtan, Taiwan; Department of Nursing, Taipei Medical University-Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Psychiatric Research Center, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Kuei-Ru
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Chou
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D057169:Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
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