Assessing the Long-Term Effects of EMDR: Results From an 18-Month Follow-Up Study with Adult Female Survivors of CSA

• NCJ Number: 206987
• Journal: Journal of Child Sexual Abuse Volume: 13 Issue: 1 Dated: 2004 Pages: 69-86
• Author(s): Tonya Edmond; Allen Rubin
• Editor(s): Robert Geffner Ph.D.
• Date Published: 2004
• Length: 18 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

Building on a previous experimental evaluative research study supporting the short-term effectiveness of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) in reducing trauma symptoms among adult female survivors of child sexual abuse (CSA), this study provides preliminary evidence that the therapeutic benefits of EMDR can be maintained over an 18-month time period.

Abstract

Developed in 1989 as a treatment for trauma, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a treatment approach aimed at assisting individuals to be able to tolerate traumatic memories and rationally process traumatic information in a productive manner. EMDR is based on the idea that eye movements enable traumatized individuals to rationally process trauma-related distress and overcome posttraumatic symptoms. This study attempted to evaluate the progress of female child sexual abuse (CSA) survivors previously studied in 1999 which suggested that the use of EMDR might be producing more enduring trauma resolution than routine individual therapy. This study monitored the progress of participants and compared EMDR’s short- and long-term effects. The study hypothesized that the therapeutic gains demonstrated by those in the EMDR treatment condition at 3 months would be maintained at 18 months as well. This study included the 59 female survivors (randomized experimental design) included in the original 1999 study and 42 participants in the current study. Measures utilized in this study included: (1) the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), (2) the Impact of Events Scale (IES), (3) the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and (4) the Belief Inventory (BI). The results of this study support the hypothesis that the therapeutic gains demonstrated by those who received EMDR treatment in the 1999 original study would be maintained 18 months post-treatment. In addition to maintaining their therapeutic gains, the EMDR group had improved slightly on every standardized measure. These results provide evidence of EMDR’s ability to produce long-term improvements in trauma symptomology. Several study limitations are discussed. References