Does EMDR Therapy Work?

Check out this answer from Consensus:

EMDR therapy is an effective treatment for PTSD and shows promise in treating other psychological conditions. While it is as effective as trauma-focused CBT for PTSD, its mechanisms of action require further investigation. EMDR’s application in children and cancer patients also appears beneficial, although more high-quality research is needed. Overall, EMDR therapy is a valuable psychotherapeutic approach with a broad range of applications.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is a psychotherapeutic approach initially developed to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Over the years, its application has expanded to various psychological conditions. This article explores the efficacy of EMDR therapy across different populations and conditions, drawing on evidence from multiple research studies.

Efficacy in Treating PTSD

EMDR therapy has been extensively studied for its effectiveness in treating PTSD. A systematic narrative review highlighted that EMDR significantly improves PTSD diagnosis, reduces PTSD symptoms, and alleviates other trauma-related symptoms. The review also noted that EMDR is more effective than other trauma treatments and is effective across different cultural contexts2. Another meta-analysis comparing EMDR with trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) found that both therapies are equally efficacious in treating PTSD, suggesting no significant clinical advantage of one over the other5.

Mechanisms of Action

The underlying mechanisms of EMDR therapy are still a subject of research. A systematic review categorized the mechanisms into psychological, psychophysiological, and neurobiological models. The working memory hypothesis and physiological changes associated with successful EMDR therapy received reasonable empirical support. However, the research into these mechanisms is still in its infancy, necessitating further studies with larger sample sizes and tighter methodological control3.

Application in Children

EMDR therapy has also been evaluated for its efficacy in children with post-traumatic stress symptoms. A meta-analysis found a medium and significant effect size for EMDR in children, indicating its efficacy compared to non-established trauma treatments or no-treatment control groups. The study emphasized the need for future replication of EMDR findings and further research on post-traumatic stress in children1. Additionally, a randomized controlled trial (RCT) investigating EMDR in children with medically related subthreshold PTSD found that EMDR significantly reduced symptoms of blood-injection-injury phobia, depression, and sleep problems, although it did not outperform care-as-usual in reducing PTSD symptoms10.

Beyond PTSD: Other Psychological Conditions

EMDR therapy’s application extends beyond PTSD. A systematic review summarized findings from RCTs on the use of EMDR in treating comorbid traumatic events in conditions such as psychosis, bipolar disorder, unipolar depression, anxiety disorders, substance use disorders, and chronic back pain. The review suggested that EMDR improves trauma-associated symptoms and may have a minor effect on the primary disorders, indicating its potential as an add-on treatment8. Another study demonstrated the efficacy of EMDR in treating major depressive disorder by processing past or present trauma, resulting in significant improvements in depressive and trauma symptoms and quality of life9.

EMDR in Cancer Patients

Psychological distress is common among cancer patients, and EMDR therapy has been explored as a treatment option. A systematic review identified seven studies using EMDR with cancer patients, showing that EMDR was adequate in reducing symptoms of psychological distress, including anxiety and depression. However, the review noted the limited evidence due to the scarcity of studies and their low methodological quality, calling for better-quality research4.

 

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Does EMDR therapy work?

Christopher Thompson has answered Likely

An expert from National Health Service in Mental Health

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) provides guidance for clinicians working within the National Health Service (NHS) in the United Kingdom (UK). NICE review the evidence base for pharmacological and psychological interventions for physical and mental health conditions and update guidelines regularly.

The NICE guidelines (2018) for PTSD recommend EMDR be offered to adults with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex PTSD (CPTSD) based on strong evidence that EMDR is clinically effective. The guidelines also report strong evidence for trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy (TF-CBT).

For children and young people (aged 7 years and over), the guidelines report evidence for the use of EMDR. However, this evidence reports EMDR to be less clinically effective than TF-CBT, and so the guidelines recommend that TF-CBT be prioritised over EMDR.   

It is worth noting that currently there is insufficient evidence for NICE to recommend EMDR for trauma following combat. The guidelines state “The evidence suggested EMDR was not effective in people with military combat-related trauma, and this was in marked contrast to all other included trauma types for which benefits were observed.”

The International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS) provide professional knowledge and expertise in the field of trauma. The ISTSS guidelines for treatment of PTSD (2019) make a “strong recommendation” for the use of EMDR with adults but also with children and young people.

On the basis of the literature, evidence basis, and from my experience as a clinician of delivering EMDR and other trauma focused interventions, I am confident that EMDR therapy is effective. However, as with all therapies, it is important that intervention is started at the right time for the individual and at the right stage of their individual recovery journey. Therefore, as part of my assessment prior to offering EMDR, I would be checking that individuals have developed a good understanding of trauma, and have developed adaptive coping strategies for managing the associated distress and difficult emotions that EMDR therapy/trauma processing work involves.    

 

Does EMDR therapy work?

Zengzhen Wang has answered Near Certain

An expert from Tongji Medical College in Psychology, Drug Use, Clinical Trials

EFFICACY EVALUATION OF EYE MOVEMENT DESENSITIZATION AND REPROCESSING TREATMENT AMONG METHAMPHETAMINE ADDICTS ON SENSITIVITY AND CRAVING

YANG Longyu1, ZHANG Hui1, ZENG Junli3, LI Xiang Hui1, YAN Dong1, LI Jiang1, TENG Shiwei1, WU Qingfeng1, YU Jincong1 , ZHAO Yanting1, CHEN Jiayan1, CAO Jiepin1, WANG Zengzhen12*

1 (Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan,430030)

2(Mental Health Center, Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan,430030)

3(Wuhan Women Compulsory Isolated Drug Detoxification Center, Wuhan, 430024)

4(Wuhan Hewan Compulsory Isolated Drug Detoxification Center, Wuhan, 430024)

ABSTRACT Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) in the treatment of sensitivity and craving among methamphetamine addicts. Methods: A total of 100 methamphetamine addicts in two compulsory rehabilitation centers were selected and randomized into the control and treatment group. Both the two groups were exposed to a five-minute drug abusing related video for 5 times, then the treatment group received a one-hour EMDR treatment each time after exposure while the control did not. Drug Abstainers’ Cue-Sensitization Questionnaire and Visual Analog Scale (VAS) of acute drug craving were measured pre and one-month and three-month post the treatment to evaluate the intervention effects. Results: No statistical difference was found on the scores of Cue-Sensitization Questionnaire and VAS between the treatment and control group before the intervention (P>0.05), but the scores of Cue-Sensitization Questionnaire and VAS in treatment group was lower than those in the control at the one-month and three-month follow-up after the intervention (P<0.05). Results of repeated measures analysis of variance showed that the treatment main effect was significant (P<0.05) on the scores of Cue-Sensitization Questionnaire and VAS. Conclusions: EMDR treatment is helpful to reduce the sensitivity and acute drug craving among methamphetamine addicts.  

KEY WORDS  eye movement desensitization and reprocessing; methamphetamine addict; craving; sensitivity

Chin J Drug Depend, 2015,24(3) :218 －223

 

Does EMDR therapy work?

Ad de Jongh has answered Near Certain

An expert from University of Amsterdam in Traumatology

Of course. It is one of the most effective psychotherapies and supported bij many scientific studies.

 

Does EMDR therapy work?

Sander Nieuwenhuis has answered Likely

An expert from Leiden University in Psychology, Neuroscience

A high-quality meta-analysis in 2013 of scientific studies on EMDR therapy in adults with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) concluded that EMDR “did better than waitlist/usual care in reducing clinician-assessed PTSD symptoms”.

Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24338345

 

Does EMDR therapy work?

Ross Bartels has answered Likely

An expert from University of Lincoln in Psychology

Several meta-analytic studies on the efficacy of EMDR have concluded that it is one of the most effective treatments for PTSD and traumatic memories (Bisson et al., 2007; Bradley, Greene, Russ, Dutra, & Westen, 2005; Seidler & Wagner, 2006). Importantly, a more recent meta-analytic study found that the eye movement component adds beneficial effects to EMDR (Lee & Cuijpers, 2012).

 

Does EMDR therapy work?

Ulrich Schnyder has answered Likely

An expert from University of Zurich in Traumatology

EMDR works in reducing PTSD symptoms, and is thus one of the various evidence-based treatments for PTSD. However, Sack et al. have demonstrated that EMDR works just as well without eye movements if eye movements are replaced by the patient visually fixating the therapist’s nonmoving hand (“dual attention”): “Exposure in combination with an explicit external focus of attention leads to larger PTSD symptom reduction than exposure alone. Eye movements have no advantage compared to visually fixating on a nonmoving hand.” (Sack M et al. (2016) Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics 85: 357-365. DOI: 10.1159/000447671).

 

Does EMDR therapy work?

Jackie June ter Heide has answered Near Certain

An expert from ARQ National Psychotrauma Centre in Psychology

Yes, there is. EMDR is considered a treatment-of-choice for adults with post-traumatic stress disorder. As such it is included in the evidence-based guidelines for the treatment of PTSD in many countries, including the United States (see https://www.apa.org/ptsd-guideline/) and the UK (see https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng116). Clinically, it is important that the therapist providing EMDR is well trained, especially in the psychological treatment of patients with more complex forms of psychotrauma.