A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy for Adults With...

Binge-eating disorder (BED) is a serious psychological condition, often associated with trauma, as well as many critical physical and psychological consequences. Despite the availability of several evidence-based treatments, full remission rates and long-term recovery rates remain suboptimal. Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy has demonstrated early promise in the treatment of eating disorders (EDs) but has yet to be examined in those with BED. To our knowledge, the current study was the first pilot randomized controlled trial to examine the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of EMDR therapy in the treatment of core BED symptomatology.

The clinical trial protocol was prospectively registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR Registration Number: ACTRN12614000894695, 05/08/2014). A two-arm (EMDR vs. waitlist control), single-blind, pilot RCT was utilized to examine the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of this approach. Eligible participants (N = 38) were fluent English-speaking Australian adults (18+ years) who met the diagnostic criteria for BED. An existing EMDR treatment protocol for bulimia nervosa (BN) was adapted for BED (10 sessions). Outcomes were examined before and immediately after treatment completion.

A treatment completion rate of 68.8% supported the feasibility of the treatment protocol. Intention-to-treat (ITT) analyses demonstrated largely positive effects in favor of the intervention, including significantly larger reductions in binge eating (symptoms, days, and frequency), meta-cognitive beliefs about eating, eating and shape concerns, anxiety, and sleep disturbance. However, there was no significant benefit of the intervention over control for dietary restraint, weight concerns, self-esteem, or sexual problems. There were mixed findings for depressive symptoms and dissociative symptoms between the ITT sample and treatment-completers.

This pilot RCT supports the feasibility of applying this protocol to a larger-scale, well-powered effectiveness trial. It also addresses a critical gap in the literature by being one of the first to examine the potential efficacy of EMDR therapy for adults with BED, and thus contributes foundational preliminary data in support of an additional model of care for those with BED.