Treatment of Vietnam war veterans with PTSD: A comparison of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, biofeedback, and relaxation training

Abstract

Analyses of scaled self-report data from Vietnam War veterans receiving inpatient treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder drawn during a program evaluation study suggested inpatient treatment as provided by the program resulted in significant improvement in the areas of Anxiety, Anger, Depression, Isolation, Intrusive Thoughts (of combat experiences), Flashbacks, Nightmares (of combat experiences), and Relationship Problems. Comparing the relative effects of the incremental addition of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Relaxation Training, and Biofeedback found that EMDR was for most problems the most effective extra treatment, greatly increasing the positive impact of the treatment program.

Does EMDR reduce post‐traumatic stress disorder symptomatology in combat veterans?

“…The studies reviewed included Boudewyns, Stwertka, Hyer, Albrecht, and Sperr (1993), Jensen (1994), Silver, Brooks, and Obenchain (1995), Boudewyns and Hyer (1996), Pitman, Orr, Altman, Longpre, Poire, and Macklin (1996);Carlson, Chemtob, Rusnak, Hedlund, and Muraoka (1998), Devilly, Spence, & Rapee (1998), Rogers, Silver, Goss, Obenchain, Willis, and Whitney (1999), and Macklin, Metzger, Lasko, Berry, Orr, and Pitman (2000). All studies reviewed recruited their participants from Veteran Administration-related facilities and/or clinics.…”

“…The Silver et al (1995) study utilized a sample of 83 Vietnam combat veterans. It is assumed that all veterans received a formal diagnosis of PTSD given the study was conducted as part of a VA inpatient PTSD program evaluation.…”

Is EMDR an Evidenced-Based Treatment for Depression? A Review of the Literature

“…Other studies have also reported significant improvements in comorbid depression where treatment with EMDR was at least as effective as, but not significantly different from, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) (Narimani, Ahari, & Rajabi, 2010) or prolonged exposure (Ironson, Freund, Strauss, & Williams, 2002;Lee, Gavriel, Drummond, Richards, & Greenwald, 2002;Rothbaum, Astin, & Marsteller, 2005). Only one RCT found that comorbid depression did not improve when PTSD was treated with EMDR, relaxation or biofeedback (Silver, Brooks, & Obenchain, 1995). All of the case studies and case series found an improvement in depressive symptoms when PTSD was successfully treated with EMDR (Chemtob, Nakashima, & Carlson, 2002;Korn & Leeds, 2002;Lobenstine & Courtney, 2013;Montefiore, Mallet, Levy, Allilaire, & Pelissolo, 2007;Raboni, Tufik, & Suchecki, 2006;Schneider et al, 2008;Steven M. Silver, Rogers, & Russell, 2008;Tarquinio, Schmitt, & Tarquinio, 2011;Tarquinio, Schmitt, Tarquinio, Rydberg, & Spitz, 2011).…”

“…There is no clearly focused research question reported, assessors were not blind to participant group allocation and the groups were not treated the same. The Silver et al (1995) paper raises some serious concerns because participants choose their treatment group and there were 83 clients split unequally over 4 groups, with one group only containing 6 people. There is no clearly focused research question reported and the groups were not treated the same, the EMDR group had as little as one therapy session over a three month inpatient stay.…”

“…To report depression symptoms seven papers used the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), one used the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD) (Hogberg et al, 2007), one used the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) (Chemtob et al, 2002) and one did not report the scales used (Silver et al, 1995).…”