title: EMDR for Syrian refugees with posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms: results of a pilot randomized controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The most common mental health problems among refugees are depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) is an effective treatment for PTSD. However, no previous randomized controlled trial (RCT) has been published on treating PTSD symptoms in a refugee camp population.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Examining the effect of EMDR to reduce the PTSD and depression symptoms compared to a wait-list condition among Syrian refugees.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-nine adult participants with PTSD symptoms were randomly allocated to either EMDR sessions (n=15) or wait-list control (n=14). The main outcome measures were Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) at posttreatment and 4-week follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Analysis of covariance showed that the EMDR group had significantly lower trauma scores at posttreatment as compared with the wait-list group (d=1.78, 95% CI: 0.92-2.64). The EMDR group also had a lower depression score after treatment as compared with the wait-list group (d=1.14, 95% CI: 0.35-1.92).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The pilot RCT indicated that EMDR may be effective in reducing PTSD and depression symptoms among Syrian refugees located in a camp. Larger RCTs to verify the (cost-) effectiveness of EMDR in similar populations are needed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Istanbul Sehir University, Istanbul, Turkey; cerenacarturk@sehir.edu.tr.
authors.forename: Ceren
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Acarturk
authors.affiliation: Institute for Behavioral Studies, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Emre
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Konuk
authors.affiliation: Kilis Refugee Camp, Kilis, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cetinkaya
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Istanbul Sehir University, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ibrahim
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Senay
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Psychology, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Marit
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sijbrandij
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Psychology, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Pim
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cuijpers
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Kocaeli University, Kocaeli, Turkey.
authors.forename: Tamer
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Aker
keywords: Refugees; depression; posttraumatic stress disorder; psychotherapy; randomized controlled trial