EMDR's efficacy for obsessive compulsive disorder

This article evaluates eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy for individuals with a diagnosis of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Two randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have been conducted on 55 and 90 patients with OCD. One RCT showed that EMDR was superior to citalapram in reducing OCD symptoms, and the other found EMDR treatment and exposure and response prevention equally effective in decreasing symptoms, with results maintained at 6-month follow-up. In addition to examining these RCTs, this article looks at several case studies to discuss three types of EMDR treatment targets (past, present, and future), and the integration of EMDR therapy with cognitive behavioral strategies such as in vivo exposure. Future research is needed before any definitive conclusions can be made

Journal

English

Karsten Rüdiger Böhm

Böhm, K. R. (2019). EMDR's efficacy for obsessive compulsive disorder. Journal of Practice and Research, 13(4), 333-336. doi:10.1891/1933-3196.13.4.333