Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) treatment for psychologically traumatized individuals

The effects of 3 90-min eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) treatment sessions on traumatic memories of 80 participants were studied. Participants were randomly assigned to treatment or delayed-treatment conditions and to 1 of 5 licensed therapists trained in EMDR. Participants receiving EMDR showed decreases in presenting complaints and in anxiety and increases in positive cognition. Participants in the delayed-treatment condition showed no improvement on any of these measures across the 30 days before treatment, but after treatment participants in the delayed-treatment condition showed similar effects on all measures. The effects were maintained at 90-day follow-up.