Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) in the treatment of conduct disorder with preadolescents and adolescents

The purpose of this study was determine the efficacy of Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) with traumatized adolescents primarily diagnosed with conduct disorder (CD). The effect of exposure to domestic violence and other forms of human initiated violence puts children at risk of developing significant mental health problems including CD and other childhood disorders that can have a profound effect on the community. In order to test the null hypotheses that the EMDR treatment protocol would not lead to any significant reduction in posttraumatic or behavioral symptoms with this population, a repeated measures MANOVA was utilized for four of the five dependent variables. These variables were the Impact of Event Scale (IES), the Child Report of Posttraumatic Symptoms (CROPS), the Parent Report of Posttraumatic Symptoms (PROPS), and the Problem Rating Scale (PRS). A simple two-group independent t-test analysis was used to analyze the fifth independent variable (reward points) and the 2-month follow-up data. All of the 5 null hypotheses were supported by an inferential analysis (MANOVA; t-test) of the dependent variables of this study. EMDR treatment was not found to be statistically significant on any of the dependent variables. Despite these findings, future research should continue to focus on the efficacy of EMDR with childhood trauma. Future research should also continue to focus on the emotional needs of children in residential treatment, the benefits of therapeutic as opposed to punitive intervention with delinquent youths, and the role that EMDR can play in breaking the cycle of violence in our society.

Dissertation/Thesis

English

Glenn Barry Soberman

Soberman, G. B. (1999, April). Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) in the treatment of conduct disorder with preadolescents and adolescents. Dissertation Abstracts International: Section B: The Sciences and Engineering, 59(10-B), 5587