The effectiveness of using eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy on reducing the severity of symptoms among individuals diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder: a systematic review of literature to highlight the standardized therapy-based interventional protocol

• Published in: A life in the day 2024-12, Vol.28 (6), p.1411-1431
• Main Authors: Haddad, Rabia H., Alhusamiah, Bushra Kh, Haddad, Razan H., Hamdan-Mansour, Ayman M., Abuhashish, Younis H., Alshraideh, Jafar A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Clinical outcomes; Clinical research; Clinical standards; Clinical trials; Desensitization; Electronic publishing; English language; Extraction; Eye movement desensitization; Eye movements; Generalizability; Health care; Health status; Intervention; Literature reviews; Mental depression; Mental disorders; Meta-analysis; Patients; Post traumatic stress disorder; Psychiatric nurses; Psychotherapy; Quality of care; Risk assessment; Suffering; Symptoms; Systematic review; Well being; Working conditions
• ISSN: 2042-8308; 2042-8316
• DOI: 10.1108/MHSI-04-2024-0057

Purpose This systematic review (SR) aims to evaluate and summarize the effectiveness of using eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) intervention among individuals diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well as to highlight the standardized EMDR-based interventional protocol. Design/methodology/approach This SR is guided according to preferred reporting items for SRs and meta-analyses standards. Several online databases were used in searching for eligible studies in peer-reviewed journals relevant to the study keywords. The included studies were SRs and clinical trials that used EMDR interventions among patients experiencing PTSD symptoms, older than 18 years and were published in English language from 2015 to 2022. Three researchers independently contributed to study selections, data extraction and study evaluations from different aspects, including quality assessment, risk of bias and study synthesis. Findings A total of eight published studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in this SR; four articles were randomized controlled trials and four were SR and meta-analysis studies. In all included studies, the EMDR was used as a primary psychotherapy intervention for PTSD symptoms. The results of this extensive and comprehensive review showed that EMDR is an effective psychotherapeutic intervention to reduce and control the severity of symptoms among individuals with PTSD. Research limitations/implications It is important to acknowledge several limitations inherent in this study. First and foremost, it is noteworthy to mention that only studies conducted in the English language were included in this review, potentially restricting the overall scope and diversity of the findings. Furthermore, the number of studies incorporated into this review was limited, which may have implications for the comprehensiveness and generalizability of the results. Finally, it is worth noting that certain studies within this review had a relatively small sample size, which could potentially limit the statistical power and precision of the conclusions drawn. Practical implications This paper, a review of the literature, gives an overview of EMDR effectiveness, provides baseline information and plays a significant role in decreasing the gap in Jordanian literature regarding using EMDR as the strongest evident psychotherapy approach for PTSD treatment to help psychiatrists, psychologists and psychiatric nurses in the health-care sectors