Exploring the utility of EMDR with children and young people
Description
Background
Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing therapy (EMDR) has been utilised as an intervention for many different presentations since it’s development for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in 1987 by Francine Shapiro. One area for which the application of EMDR has been explored is Clinical Health Psychology. Recent reviews have outlined encouraging results when exploring the use of this therapy with adults who have acute and chronic physical health issues, however, the available literature within the paediatric population is yet to be reviewed.
Aim
To identify and critically appraise the current evidence examining the efficacy and effectiveness of EMDR, and to ascertain the quality of this evidence, when applied across paediatric clinical health psychology settings.
Methods
The Cochrane Library, OVID Medline, OVID Embase, EBSCO CINAHL, EBSCO PsychINFO and PubMed were searched from 1989 to 5th June 2022 along with the EMDR focused Francine Shapiro Library.
Results
The search identified 15 studies. Nine used small scale research designs (i.e., case studies) to demonstrate the application of EMDR with specific health conditions and medical issues. Five RCTs and an open prospective study were the larger scale studies identified. Overall, the studies were highly heterogeneous, with differences in the content of sessions, duration and number of sessions, and the outcomes measured. Variability in the methodological quality of the studies analysed was found. However, many studies demonstrated encouraging results regarding the applicability, efficacy and effectiveness of EMDR for children and young people (C/YP) in paediatric clinical health psychology settings.
Conclusion
Overall, this review indicates that EMDR appears to be an efficacious, effective and adaptable approach for use in a range of Paediatric Clinical Health Psychology settings, for example, within pain management and for cancer related PTSD symptoms. Although the results of this review are preliminary given the highly heterogeneous nature of the available evidence, the methodological problems identified and the lack of generalisability due to the inclusion of small-scale studies, the studies which were of a higher quality showed compelling evidence for the flexible use of EMDR for C/YP treated within paediatric clinical health psychology settings to alleviate physical and psychological symptoms related to their health condition. Future research with larger samples, which is adequately powered, includes UK participants, and makes use of comparable outcome measures is required for more conclusive outcomes to be determined and for treatment recommendations to be made for this population.
Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing therapy (EMDR) has been utilised as an intervention for many different presentations since it’s development for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in 1987 by Francine Shapiro. One area for which the application of EMDR has been explored is Clinical Health Psychology. Recent reviews have outlined encouraging results when exploring the use of this therapy with adults who have acute and chronic physical health issues, however, the available literature within the paediatric population is yet to be reviewed.
Aim
To identify and critically appraise the current evidence examining the efficacy and effectiveness of EMDR, and to ascertain the quality of this evidence, when applied across paediatric clinical health psychology settings.
Methods
The Cochrane Library, OVID Medline, OVID Embase, EBSCO CINAHL, EBSCO PsychINFO and PubMed were searched from 1989 to 5th June 2022 along with the EMDR focused Francine Shapiro Library.
Results
The search identified 15 studies. Nine used small scale research designs (i.e., case studies) to demonstrate the application of EMDR with specific health conditions and medical issues. Five RCTs and an open prospective study were the larger scale studies identified. Overall, the studies were highly heterogeneous, with differences in the content of sessions, duration and number of sessions, and the outcomes measured. Variability in the methodological quality of the studies analysed was found. However, many studies demonstrated encouraging results regarding the applicability, efficacy and effectiveness of EMDR for children and young people (C/YP) in paediatric clinical health psychology settings.
Conclusion
Overall, this review indicates that EMDR appears to be an efficacious, effective and adaptable approach for use in a range of Paediatric Clinical Health Psychology settings, for example, within pain management and for cancer related PTSD symptoms. Although the results of this review are preliminary given the highly heterogeneous nature of the available evidence, the methodological problems identified and the lack of generalisability due to the inclusion of small-scale studies, the studies which were of a higher quality showed compelling evidence for the flexible use of EMDR for C/YP treated within paediatric clinical health psychology settings to alleviate physical and psychological symptoms related to their health condition. Future research with larger samples, which is adequately powered, includes UK participants, and makes use of comparable outcome measures is required for more conclusive outcomes to be determined and for treatment recommendations to be made for this population.
Format
Dissertation/Thesis
Language
English
Original Work Citation
Little, S. (2023, April). Exploring the utility of EMDR with children and young people. (Doctoral dissertation, University of Glasgow)
Citation
“Exploring the utility of EMDR with children and young people,” Francine Shapiro Library, accessed May 12, 2024, https://francineshapirolibrary.omeka.net/items/show/28121.