Therapist and operator experiences utilizing multi-modal motion-assisted Memory Desensitization and Reconsolidation (3MDR) for treatment of combat related posttraumatic stress disorder amongst military and veteran populations

Abstract

Background As provisions of mental healthcare services to military and veteran populations increases the risk to service providers developing secondary traumatic stress (STS), efforts are needed to examine the impact of delivering novel interventions which may include 3MDR. As a virtual-reality supported intervention, 3MDR exposes the patient, therapist and operator to graphic and sensory stimuli (i.e. narratives, imagery, smells, and music) in the course of the intervention. 3MDR is actively being researched at multiple sites internationally within military and veteran populations. It is, therefore, crucial to ensure the safety and wellbeing of 3MDR therapists and operators who are exposed to potentially distressing sensory stimuli. Objective The purpose of this study is to qualitatively examine the impact and experiences of STS amongst therapists and operators in delivering 3MDR. For this study, impact will be defined as therapists or operators experiencing perceived STS as a result of delivering 3MDR. Methods This exploratory qualitative study recruited 3MDR therapists and operators ( N = 18) from Canada, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States who had previously delivered 3MDR therapy. Telephone or video-conferencing interviews were used to gather data that was subsequently transcribed and thematically analyzed. Results Four themes emerged among the therapists ( n = 13) and operators ( n = 5): (1) personal cost and benefits of 3MDR, (2) professional paradox of a 3MDR therapist, (3) perceived effect of 3MDR on patients, and (4) recommendations for future 3MDR use. Conclusions STS was not noted to be a significant challenge for 3MDR therapists and operators. Future research may investigate optimal means of providing training and ongoing support for 3MDR therapists and operators. HIGHLIGHTS Secondary Traumatic Stress was not noted to be a significant challenge for 3MDR therapists and operators Future research may investigate optimal means of providing training and ongoing support for 3MDR therapists and operators

Virtual realities, real recoveries: exploring the efficacy of 3MDR therapy for treatment-resistant PTSD

“…This raises the hypothesis that 3MDR therapists may be more susceptible to secondary traumatization. However, a recent qualitative study by Jones et al (2022b) explored the impact of STS on 3MDR operators and therapists. Despite therapists and operators ( N = 13) reporting some impact, they perceived little to no difference compared to other trauma therapies.…”

“…These were excluded because their measurements were deemed not sufficiently relevant to the research question. These articles were by Jones et al (2022b) , which examined the impact of 3MDR on the therapists administering the treatment (findings of this study are mentioned in our discussion) and van Deursen et al (2021) , which investigated heart rate and respiratory rate during 3MDR therapy.…”

3MDR treatment in an adolescent with PTSD: a case report

“…The structured 3MDR treatment protocol is very intense. In 3MDR therapy, the therapist's role is also slightly different since the therapist aims to coach and guide patients through trauma processing with a ‘can-do’ attitude (Jones et al, 2022 ). In the current case, the support and empathy of the therapist had a very positive influence on the therapeutic relationship, which is deemed very important for a positive treatment outcome, specifically in young patients (Labouliere et al, 2017 ).…”

Beneficios de la intervención ante el Trastorno de Estrés Postraumático en soldados. Una revisión sistemática

“…En consecuencia, con el propósito de mejorar la calidad de vida de los militares profesionales durante su carrera militar y en su vida personal. En este sentido, sería interesante tener en cuenta la aplicación de intervenciones a través de la utilización de los entornos virtuales, dado su gran potencial en la salud psicológica de los profesionales (Jones et al, 2022).…”

“…Además, podría conllevar a una ingesta diaria de alcohol (Irizar et al, 2021), asociado al consumo de tabaco (Bohórquez-Borda et al, 2022), lo que incrementa la ansiedad de la persona (Soriano-Sánchez y Jiménez-Vázquez, 2022a). Finalmente, a día de hoy se ha expuesto los beneficios que poseen los programas de intervención como, por ejemplo, en mindfulness para mejorar la salud psicológica de los trabajadores, tanto de modo presencial como online (Pérez-Fuentes et al, 2020), así como mediante intervenciones realizadas con el uso de App para reducir el TEPT (Lasee et al, 2020) o, incluso, la utilización de nuevas propuestas, como podría ser la realidad virtual (Jones et al, 2022).…”