Patients' Perspective on the Effective Working Mechanisms in ImRs and EMDR Treating Childhood-Trauma-related PTSD: A Qualitative Study

Background: ImRs and EMDR, two promising techniques in treatment for childhood trauma-based PTSD, were compared in a randomized controlled study (Boterhoven de Haan et al., 2017), the IREM. For ImRs; the predominant explanation is that it works by changing the meaning of trauma events (Arntz, 2012). In the case of EMDR, the most recent theory is the working memory theory (Van den Hout & Engelhard, 2012). A qualitative study was done on patients’ perspectives on the working mechanisms in these two techniques. Objective: The study addressed the following questions: What are the most effective elements in the followed treatment according to patients? Is there a difference between the two treatments in this respect? Method: Opinions of 40 patients participating in the IREM study in Australia, Germany and the Netherlands were collected with semi-structured in-depth interviews. Thematic analysis was used for analysing the interviews. Results: At this symposium the results of the interviews in Australia, Germany and the Netherlands will be presented. Conclusions: The perspective of patients will help us to improve treatments, and to instruct therapists and patients helping them to get the best results possible.