EMDR in the treatment of depression - the deprEnd protocol

Severe depression is one of the most common mental disorders and affects between 15-20 % of the general population in their lifetimes. Although many psychotherapeutic and pharmacologic interventions exist that are considered to be effective in depression, the treatment results are often less than satisfactory. High relapse rates (ranging at 50% after two years), unsatisfactory remissions and suicidal risks are among the major problems. EMDR is internationally recognized as one of the most effective tools to treat posttraumatic stress disorder (WHO 2013). Increasingly studies show that stressful life events play a major role in depressive disorders. In recent years therefore EMDR has come into focus as a new intervention tool in the treatment of depressive disorders. The European EDEN study group has conducted research on the subject since 2007, published 5 controlled studies (three of them RCTs) and treated many depressive patients using the EMDR DeprEnd protocol also in our EMDR hospital unit. The studies and our cases have shown that EMDR is at least equal to CBT treatment in depression but seems to result in more complete remissions than other interventions. EMDR may also lead to a decreased risk of relapses, as an incomplete remission increases the risk of relapse 5 times. In the presentation and the following Q&A session the evidence will be presented and our treatment manual (DeprEndr protocol) will be introduced and deepened in case discussions. Learning Objectives:

Conference

English

Arne Hofmann

Hofmann, A. (2023, May). EMDR in the treatment of depression - the deprEnd protocol. Virtual presentation at the EMDRAA Conference, Melbourne Victoria, Australia