The effectiveness of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) in reducing pathological worry in patients with generalized anxiety disorder: a preliminary study

Rezvani, Farima; Dowlatabadi, Shiva; Behzadi, Safieh

doi:10.12740/app/39259

Cited by 9 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 34 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…When no behavioural change was observed, EMDR seems to have allowed the patient to beneficiate from exposure therapy. Furthermore, we also found a pilot-study in General Anxiety Disorder (Farima et al, 2015) and a case study in Social Anxiety Disorder (Sagaltici and Demirci, 2019), both similarly demonstrating positive effects of EMDR in terms of efficacy in reducing pathological worry symptoms and maintenance of results.…”

Section: Phobia and Other Anxiety Disorderssupporting

confidence: 59%

EMDR as Treatment Option for Conditions Other Than PTSD: A Systematic Review

Scelles

Bulnes

2021

Front. Psychol.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The technique is known to facilitate reprocessing of maladaptive memories that are thought to be central to this pathology. Here we investigate if EMDR therapy can be used in other conditions. We conducted a systematic literature search on PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Web of Science. We searched for published empirical findings on EMDR, excluding those centred on trauma and PTSD, published up to 2020. The results were classified by psychiatric categories. Ninety articles met our research criteria. A positive effect was reported in numerous pathological situations, namely in addictions, somatoform disorders, sexual dysfunction, eating disorders, disorders of adult personality, mood disorders, reaction to severe stress, anxiety disorders, performance anxiety, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), pain, neurodegenerative disorders, mental disorders of childhood and adolescence, and sleep. Some studies reported that EMDR was successful in usually uncooperative (e.g., Dementia) or unproductive cases (e.g., aphasia). Moreover, in some severe medical conditions, when psychological distress was an obstacle, EMDR allowed the continuation of treatment-as-usual. Furthermore, the effects observed in non-pathological situations invite for translational research. Despite a generally positive outlook of EMDR as an alternative treatment option, more methodologically rigorous studies are needed. We discuss the advantages and limitations and possible implications for the hypothesised mechanisms of action.

show abstract

Section: Phobia and Other Anxiety Disorderssupporting

confidence: 59%

EMDR as Treatment Option for Conditions Other Than PTSD: A Systematic Review

Scelles

Bulnes

2021

Front. Psychol.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…At the present time, there are no RCTs that investigated EMDR treatment for GAD, but two preliminary studies were carried out (Farima, Dowlatabadi, & Behzadi, 2015;Gauvreau & Bouchard, 2008). Both studies targeted experiential contributors to GAD and the current and anticipated situations that caused excessive worry, and resulted in a reduction of anxiety scores that was maintained at short-term follow-up.…”

Section: Generalized Anxiety Disordermentioning

confidence: 99%

Efficacy of EMDR Therapy for Anxiety Disorders

Faretta¹,

Farra²

2019

J EMDR Prac Res

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Six randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigated the efficacy of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy for adults with anxiety disorders over a span of 20 years (1997–2017). Three RCTs focused on panic disorder, with or without agoraphobia (PDA); two studies targeted specific phobias, whereas the dependent variable of another RCT was “self-esteem,” considered as a mediator factor for anxiety disorders. In four RCTs, EMDR therapy demonstrated a positive effect on panic and phobic symptoms, whereas one RCT on PDA was partly negative and one study failed in improving self-esteem in patients with anxiety disorders. Considered as a whole, these preliminary data suggest EMDR therapy may be effective not only for PD but also for specific phobias. Further controlled studies are needed to corroborate these findings and also to systematically evaluate the efficacy of EMDR therapy for generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety, and agoraphobia. Because cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is presently considered a first-line treatment for anxiety disorders, controlled comparisons between EMDR therapy and CBT would be especially useful in future investigations of EMDR treatment of anxiety disorders.

show abstract

“…22 Presumptive evidence of a decrease of worrying thoughts after EMDR therapy has also been found in three female patients with generalised anxiety disorder. 35 The most important limitations of this study are the sample size and the lack of a control group. Because of the small sample size, there was no control group added to filter out nonspecific therapeutic effects or spontaneous recovery over time.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…22 Presumptive evidence of a decrease of worrying thoughts after EMDR therapy has also been found in three female patients with generalised anxiety disorder. 35…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

EMDR treatment for anxiety in MS patients: A pilot study

Wallis

Vries

2020

Multiple Sclerosis Journal - Experimental, Translational and Cl

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) often experience high levels of anxiety, specifically about the (unpredictable) future related to MS. Worries about physical and cognitive declines can cause frightening mental representations of future ‘worst-case scenarios’. Evidence of the applicability of eye movement desensitization reprocessing (EMDR) using flash-forward on anxiety is growing. Objective This pilot study examines the flash-forward EMDR procedure as a treatment option in MS patients suffering from anxiety specifically related to future MS problems. Methods Eight MSpatients suffering from anxiety were treated with one to three sessions of EMDR with a flash-forward target. Treatment effects were evaluated with the use of questionnaires on anxiety, depression, worry, cognitive avoidance, and quality of life at three time points: pre-treatment, direct post-treatment, and three-month follow-up. Results Significant improvement was shown post-treatment compared to pre-treatment on anxiety, depression, and worry. In a case series analysis, all but one participant showed a clinically important difference in anxiety. Conclusion Before implementation on a larger scale can be recommended, the value of EMDR with flash forward targets for anxiety in MS need to be further examined. However, the positive results on this pilot can be seen as promising and motivation for future studies.

show abstract

The effectiveness of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) in reducing pathological worry in patients with generalized anxiety disorder: a preliminary study

Cited by 9 publications

References 34 publications

EMDR as Treatment Option for Conditions Other Than PTSD: A Systematic Review

EMDR as Treatment Option for Conditions Other Than PTSD: A Systematic Review

Efficacy of EMDR Therapy for Anxiety Disorders

EMDR treatment for anxiety in MS patients: A pilot study

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About