Prevalence of complex post-traumatic stress disorder in psychiatric patients and plan for an EMDR protocol: Preliminary results from a multicenter study

This presentation reports preliminary findings from a multicenter study examining the prevalence of complex PTSD among psychiatric patients and outlining an EMDR‑informed treatment plan tailored to this population. Across participating sites, clinicians identified high rates of early, chronic, and interpersonal trauma contributing to pervasive dysregulation, dissociation, and entrenched maladaptive patterns. The study highlights diagnostic challenges, including symptom overlap with personality disorders and affective instability. Based on these observations, the author proposes an EMDR protocol emphasizing extended stabilization, careful pacing, and phased processing of fragmented memory networks. Early clinical impressions suggest that a structured, complexity‑sensitive EMDR approach may improve engagement and reduce symptom burden in individuals with C‑PTSD. If you’d like, I can also generate a program‑listing citation, an annotated version, or Omeka‑ready metadata for your EMDR Collection.

Conference

English

Penny Papanikolopoulos

Papanikolopoulos, P. (2006, June 5–7). Prevalence of complex post‑traumatic stress disorder in psychiatric patients and plan for an EMDR protocol: Preliminary results from a multicenter study. [Conference poster]. EMDR Europe Conference, Oslo, Norway