Applicability and effectiveness of group EMDR therapy for forced migrants

Background: The global rise in forced migration has led to increased mental health challenges among displaced populations, particularly post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex PTSD (CPTSD). Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy, and its group-based adaptation - the Group Traumatic Episode Protocol (GTEP) - has shown promise in addressing trauma in such contexts.Objective: This retrospective pilot study evaluates the feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of a modified GTEP protocol tailored for migrant populations at a regional psychotrauma centre in Europe.Methods: Participants (N = 71) were adult forced migrants (asylum seekers, refugees or undocumented migrants) diagnosed with PTSD. The intervention included psychoeducation, stabilization, and the usual eight EMDR phases, delivered in a group format. Pre- and post-intervention assessments were conducted using validated self-report measures: PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), International Trauma Questionnaire (ITQ), Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6), WHOQOL-BREF.Results: Significant reductions in PTSD and depressive symptoms were observed, with large effect sizes across most measures. Notably, CPTSD diagnoses decreased from 60.9% to 15.2%. The dropout rate was low (15%), and session attendance was high (80%), indicating strong acceptability. These findings suggest that the adapted GTEP protocol is both effective and feasible for use with migrant populations, including those with complex PTSD.Conclusions: Despite limitations such as the absence of a control group and missing data, this study provides evidence supporting the use of group EMDR interventions in real-world clinical settings for forcibly displaced individuals. Future research should include randomized controlled trials and long-term follow-up to further validate these findings.