Measuring effectiveness of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) in non-clinical anxiety:  A multi-subject, yoked-control design

28 subjects from a university's subject pool were paired on sex, age, severity, and type of stressful or traumatic incident. 1 subject in each pair was selected to receive EMDR; the experimental partner spent the same amount of time receiving a visual (non-movement) placebo. Subjective units of discomfort (SUD) scores and physiological measurements were taken prior to and following treatment. Analysis of physiological measurements and self-reported levels of stress were performed within and between each group. While the EMDR group showed significant reductions of stress, EMDR was no better than a placebo. This suggests EMDR's specific intervention involving eye movement may not be a necessary component of the treatment protocol.

Journal

English

Thomas M. Dunn
Marvin Schwartz
Robert W. Hatfield
Mark Wiegele

Dunn, T. M., Schwartz, M., Hatfield, R. W., & Wiegele, M. (1996, September). Measuring effectiveness of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) in non-clinical anxiety: A multi-subject, yoked-control design. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 27(3), 231-239. doi:10.1016/S0005-7916(96)00034-1