EMDR beyond PTSD: A Systematic Literature Review

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Psychotherapy Research
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Traumatic events are linked to severe mental disorders and poorer prognoses.
• Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an effective psychotherapy for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
• Comorbid conditions often complicate treatment outcomes for mental health disorders.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on EMDR for comorbid traumatic events.
• To assess EMDR's efficacy in psychosis, bipolar disorder, unipolar depression, anxiety, substance use disorders, and chronic back pain.
• To summarize findings on EMDR's impact on trauma-associated and primary psychiatric symptoms.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search of PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Scopus.
• Included RCT studies published up to December 2016.
• Focused on EMDR therapy in specified comorbid psychiatric conditions.

Main Results:

• RCTs for EMDR in these comorbid conditions are limited but emerging.
• EMDR therapy demonstrates effectiveness in improving trauma-associated symptoms.
• A minor effect on primary disorders was observed, with partial symptomatic improvement.

Conclusions:

• EMDR therapy is a potentially valuable psychotherapy for trauma symptoms in patients with comorbid psychiatric disorders.
• Preliminary evidence suggests EMDR may improve psychotic and affective symptoms.
• EMDR could serve as an adjunctive treatment for chronic pain conditions.