Add-on Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy for Adults with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Who Failed to Respond to Initial Antidepressant Pharmacotherapy

• Published in: Journal of Korean medical science Vol. 33; no. 48; pp. e306 - 6
• Main Authors: Bae, Hwallip, Kim, Daeho, Cho, Yubin, Kim, Dongjoo, Kim, Seok Hyeon
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korea (South) The Korean Academy of Medical Sciences 26.11.2018; 대한의학회
• Subjects: Adult; Antidepressive Agents - therapeutic use; Brief Communication; Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing - methods; Eye Movements - physiology; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Psychotherapy; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - drug therapy; Treatment Failure; Young Adult; 의학일반; PTSD; Antidepressants; EMDR; Drug Therapy
• ISSN: 1011-8934; 1598-6357; 1598-6357
• DOI: 10.3346/jkms.2018.33.e306

This study examined the add-on efficacy of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy among adult civilians with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) who continued to be symptomatic after more than 12 weeks of initial antidepressant treatment. Scores for the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS) were rated pre- and post-EMDR and at a 6-month follow-up. After an average of six sessions of EMDR treatment, seven of 14 patients (50%) showed more than a 30% decrease in CAPS score and eight (57%) no longer met the criteria for PTSD. Our results indicate that EMDR could be successfully added after failure of initial pharmacotherapy for PTSD.