Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) as Treatment for Combat-Related PTSD: A Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Although the symptom presentation of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the general and military population is very similar, combat-related PTSD is typically thought to be more severe due to repeated and prolonged exposure to traumatic events. One of the treatments of choice, eye-movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) has, however, not been validated for the military population. A meta-analysis was carried out on literature ranging back to 1987. The analysis thus far resulted in a failure to support the effectiveness of EMDR in treating PTSD in the military population. Several possible explanations are given, of which the limited number of well-designed randomized controlled trials (RCTs) seems to be the most important one. Until more research is done, EMDR as treatment of choice for combat-related PTSD should be used only if other treatment protocols have proven unsuccessful.

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing for the treatment and early intervention of trauma among first responders: A systematic review

“…Studies were included in the review if they met the following criteria: (a) participants were first responders (e.g., police officers, paramedics, or firefighters); (b) participants received EMDR therapy as a result of work‐induced stress, exposure to trauma, or PTSD symptoms; (c) the study evaluated the impact of EMDR; (d) study outcomes included either quantitative or qualitative well‐being indicators of posttraumatic stress; and (e) the study was published in English in a peer‐reviewed journal. Studies that examined the delivery of EMDR among military personnel were excluded, as several previous reviews have synthesized this research (e.g., Kitchiner et al., 2019; Verstrael et al., 2013), and the National Institute of for Health and Care Excellence (2018) has recommended against the use of EMDR for combat‐related trauma because evidence has found it to be an ineffective treatment method for these populations; moreover, these cohorts differ from first responders with regard to infrastructure and available support. All types of study design were included except for systematic or narrative literature reviews, protocol papers, and editorials or commentaries.…”

A review of selected psychotherapies for PTSD, their efficacy and treatment guidelines in adults

“…Skuteczność terapii EMDR została potwierdzona w wielu badaniach klinicznych, których podsumowanie w metaanalizach wskazuje na lepsze efekty po zastosowaniu EMDR niż u osób z listy oczekujących i porównywalną skuteczność do terapii poznawczo-behawioralnych [32,[39][40][41]. Jednocześnie należy zauważyć, że metaanaliza badań EMDR w terapii żołnierzy z PTSD po aktywnym udziale w walkach nie wykazała skuteczności tej metody, ale zdaniem autorów wynik ten był podyktowany przede wszystkim małą liczbą badań o zróżnicowanych metodach badawczych, które były prowadzone na małych próbach [42].…”

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“…Eye movement therapy is widely used in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorders, including combat veterans (Verstrael et al, 2013;Vanderschoot & Van Dessel, 2022). Although not all studies show equally high positive results with traditional tests, respondents usually report a reduction in subjective suffering (Schrier et al, 2016).…”