Importance of an early EMDR intervention in emergency room to prevent post-traumatic stress disorder and concussion-like persistent symptoms: A pilot randomized controlled study
Description
Background:
Up to 20% (1) of patients presenting at an Emergency Room (ER) after a stressful event will suffer durably of various very diverse long-lasting symptoms (headaches, memory problems, concentration problems, personality changes, irritability, etc.), with a potentially significant decline in quality of life. This symptoms can be grouped under the term Post-Concussion-Like Symptoms (PCLS) (5). This procession of symptoms, initially described in traumatized brain, is also found in patients with all types of trauma (2, 3, 4). The results of a recent study of injured patients suggest that there is a strong correlation between symptoms of PCLS and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and that stress plays a major role (5).
Objectives:
Assess the feasibility of EMDR in ER and compare the effectiveness of an early single EMDR intervention after stressful event, to reasurance or usual care.
Method:
This monocentric randomized controlled open-label study was conducted in the ER of Bordeaux University Hospital. It included patients with a high risk for PCLS or PTSD randomized in three groups: a reassurance session, a session of EMDR, and usual care.
Results:
At 3-month recall, the rate of patients with PTSD was 3% in the EMDR group versus 16% and 19% in the reassurance and control groups. The PCLS rate was 15% in the EMDR group versus 47% and 65% in the reassurance and control groups.
Conclusion:
This is the first randomized, controlled trial that shows that a single short EMDR intervention is both feasible and effective to prevent ESPT and PCLS
Up to 20% (1) of patients presenting at an Emergency Room (ER) after a stressful event will suffer durably of various very diverse long-lasting symptoms (headaches, memory problems, concentration problems, personality changes, irritability, etc.), with a potentially significant decline in quality of life. This symptoms can be grouped under the term Post-Concussion-Like Symptoms (PCLS) (5). This procession of symptoms, initially described in traumatized brain, is also found in patients with all types of trauma (2, 3, 4). The results of a recent study of injured patients suggest that there is a strong correlation between symptoms of PCLS and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and that stress plays a major role (5).
Objectives:
Assess the feasibility of EMDR in ER and compare the effectiveness of an early single EMDR intervention after stressful event, to reasurance or usual care.
Method:
This monocentric randomized controlled open-label study was conducted in the ER of Bordeaux University Hospital. It included patients with a high risk for PCLS or PTSD randomized in three groups: a reassurance session, a session of EMDR, and usual care.
Results:
At 3-month recall, the rate of patients with PTSD was 3% in the EMDR group versus 16% and 19% in the reassurance and control groups. The PCLS rate was 15% in the EMDR group versus 47% and 65% in the reassurance and control groups.
Conclusion:
This is the first randomized, controlled trial that shows that a single short EMDR intervention is both feasible and effective to prevent ESPT and PCLS
Format
Conference
Language
English
Original Work Citation
Saint Jammes, J. T. (2018, June). Importance of an early EMDR intervention in emergency room to prevent post-traumatic stress disorder and concussion-like persistent symptoms: A pilot randomized controlled study. Poster presented at the 19th EMDR Europe Conference, Strasbourg, France
Citation
“Importance of an early EMDR intervention in emergency room to prevent post-traumatic stress disorder and concussion-like persistent symptoms: A pilot randomized controlled study,” Francine Shapiro Library, accessed May 9, 2024, https://francineshapirolibrary.omeka.net/items/show/25250.