Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing treatment for panic disorder: a controlled outcome and partial...

Forty-three outpatients with DSM-III-R (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 3rd Ed., revised; American Psychiatric Association, 1987) panic disorder were randomly assigned to receive 6 sessions of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), the same treatment but omitting the eye movement, or to a waiting list. Posttest comparisons showed EMDR to be more effective in alleviating panic and panic-related symptoms than the waiting-list procedure. Compared with the same treatment without the eye movement, EMDR led to greater improvement on 2 of 5 primary outcome measures at posttest. However, EMDR's advantages had dissipated 3 months after treatment, thereby failing to firmly support the usefulness of the eye movement component in EMDR treatment for panic disorder.