The effect of varying the rate of the eye movements in eye movement desensitization reprocessing (EMDR) with battered women

The rapid saccades used in eye movement desensitization reprocessing (EMDR) have been reputed to be critical to its efficacy. To evaluate this hypothesis, the rate of the eye movements was varied in this study. Subjects included 27 battered women who were rated PTSD-positive by a modified version of the Symptom Checklist (MSC). Participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: EMDR Fast, EMDR Slow or Control.Prior to treatment, subjects completed the Revised Impact of Events Scale (IES). Treatment involved one experimental session lasting up to 90 minutes. Dependent variables included the Subjective Units of Distress (SUDs) (derived from the Subjective Units of Disturbance Scale), the Validity of Cognition (VOC) and the Vividness of Traumatic Image (VTI) Scales as well as the Intrusion subscales of the MSC and the IES. At post-treatment one week later, subjects again provided responses to the five dependent variables and, for ethical reasons, were provided another session of treatment at the EMDR Fast rate if their SUDs were 2 or greater. Results of the mixed, two factor analyses indicated no differences between the groups. Hence, the outcomes showed that the rapid eye movements did not provide a differential treatment effect as hypothesized. All groups experienced improvement on the SUDs and VTI Scales and the MSC Intrusion subscale, supporting occurrence of an exposure effect. This investigation was the first controlled EMDR study conducted with battered women, as well as the first experiment on this procedure using a clinical population in which the rate of the eye movements was varied.

Dissertation/Thesis

English

Helen A. Becich

Becich, H. A. (1995, November). The effect of varying the rate of the eye movements in eye movement desensitization reprocessing (EMDR) with battered women. ((Doctoral dissertation, University of California)