EMDR and addiction: Applications to substance use disorder and to gambling disorder

Several studies have reported a strong relationship between exposure to severe stress in childhood and addiction. One of the most important studies, conducted by the Center for Disease Control along with the Kaiser Hospital in San Diego, released the landmark Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) study, showing that individuals who experienced four or more types of ACEs were at a four to 12-fold increased risk of developing alcohol or drug abuse problems [1]. Research has also shown that exposure to traumatic events is associated with an increased risk of developing pathological compulsive behaviors. A trauma-informed approach could lead to better treatment outcomes, such as greater symptom reduction and increased retention in treatment. EMDR is widely recognized as an empirically supported treatment for PTSD, however in the last years several studies have been showing that it could be effective for several other psychological and psychiatric condition beyond PTSD. In the first part of the presentation we will present and discuss the updated results of an ongoing study evaluating EMDR efficacy in patients with Substance Use Disorders. In the second part of the presentation, we will present the research protocol of a new study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of an add-on EMDR therapy as compared to treatment as usual in patients with Gambling Disorder.

Conference

English

Sara Carletto
Micaela Barnato
Luca Ostacoli
Marco Pagani
Isabel Fernandez

Carletto, S., Barnato, M., Ostacoli, L., Pangani, M., & Fernandez, I. (2021, June). EMDR and addiction: Applications to substance use disorder and to gambling disorder. Presentation at the 20th EMDR Europe Association Conference, Virtual