The effectiveness of Stress Inoculation Training with Prolonged Exposure (SITPE) was compared to Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). Twenty-four participants who had a diagnosis of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) were randomly assigned to one of the treatment conditions. Participants were also their own wait-list control. Outcome measures included self-report and observer-rated measures of PTSD, and self-report measures of depression. On global PTSD measures, there were no significant differences between the treatments at the end of therapy. However on the subscale measures of the degree of intrusion symptoms, EMDR did significantly better than SITPE. At follow-up EMDR was found to lead to greater gains on all measures.

This paper reviews the present state of knowledge about the efficacy of eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR) as a treatment for traumatic memories, and draws on information‐processing theory to identify basic problems with much of the research on this procedure. The general failure of this research to take into account the complexity and hypothesised theoretical underpinnings of EMDR is discussed, and suggestions are made for future research. Although EMDR has shown some promise as an effective intervention for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), well controlled comparative outcome studies are required to establish its efficacy before investigation of its active therapeutic components should be undertaken.