Comparing the effectiveness of eye movement desensitization reprocessing and cognitive behavioral therapy in reducing post traumatic stress disorder

Authors

  • Sahar Aligholizadeh Moghadam Islamic Azad University
  • Reza Kazemi Islamic Azad University
  • Somayyeh Taklavi Islamic Azad University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5114/hpr.2019.92305

Keywords:

cognitive behavioral therapy, eye movement desensitization reprocessing, post-traumatic stress disorder

Abstract

Background
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is prevalent in children, adolescents and adults. It can occur alone or in comorbidity with other disorders. A broad range of psychotherapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and eye movement desensitization reprocessing (EMDR) have been developed for the treatment of PTSD. The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of eye movement desensitization reprocessing and cognitive behavioral therapy in reducing post-traumatic stress disorder.

Participants and procedure
The population of this investigation was composed of 450 veterans of holy war who referred to military health services. The study sample contained 225 veterans who were randomly selected and asked to complete the Mississippi Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Questionnaire. From 80 respondents who achieved above the minimum score in the questionnaire, 40 persons were chosen randomly and assigned to two experimental groups and one control group. Subjects in the experimental group received eight sessions of CBT training and 8 sessions of EMDR therapy. Post tests were taken from all participants after therapy sessions. Data were analyzed using ANCOVA in SPSS version 25.

Results
Our findings indicated a significant difference between EMDR and CBT groups in term of average PTSD. We also found a significant difference in terms of average PTSD between the control group and CBT as well as EMDR groups.

Conclusions
The results of the present study indicated that the eye movement desensitization reprocessing method and cognitive behavioral therapy are effective in reducing post-traumatic stress disorder. We also found that EMDR is more effective than CBT.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Acarturk, C., Konuk, E., Cetinkaya, M., Senay, I., Sijbrandij, M., Cuijpers, P., & Aker, T. (2015). EMDR for Syrian refugees with posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms: Results of a pilot randomized controlled trial. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 6, 27414. https://doi.org/10.3402/ejpt.v6.27414.

Ashaiery, H., Hooman, H. A., Jamali, M., & Vatankhah, H. R. (2009). The compares effects of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, medical, cognitive therapies approaches on decreasing the state anxiety. Journal of Psychological Researches, 1, 51–63.

Aslani, M., Hashemiyan, K., Lotfi Kashani, F., & Mirzayi, J. (2007). The effectiveness of cognitive behavior therapy on chronic post-traumatic stress disorder patients. Applied Psychology, 1, 6–17.

Barlow, D. H., Gorman, J. M., Shear, M. K., & Woods, S. W. (2000). Cognitive-behavioral therapy, imipramine, or their combination for panic disorder: a randomized controlled trial. Journal of American Medical Association, 283, 2529–2536. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.283.19.2529.

Beck, J. G., Coffey, S. F., Foy, D. W., Keane, T. M., & Blanchard, E. B. (2009). Group cognitive behavior therapy for chronic posttraumatic stress disorder: an initial randomized pilot study. Behavior Therapy, 40, 82–92. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2008.01.003.

Bower, G. H. (1981). Mood and memory. American Psychologist, 36, 129–148. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003- 066X.36.2.129.

Carlson, J. G., Chemtob, C. M., Rusnak, K., Hedlund, N. L., & Muraoka, M. Y. (1998). Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) treatment for combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 11, 3–24. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1024448814268.

Goodarzi, M. A. (2003). Evaluating reliability and validity of the Mississippi scale for post-traumatic stress disorder in Shiraz. Journal of Psychology, 26, 152–178.

Gorman, J. M., Battista, D., Goetz, R. R., Dillon, D. J., Liebowitz, M. R., Fyer, A. J., & Klein, D. F. (1989). A comparison of sodium bicarbonate and sodium lactate infusion in the induction of panic attacks. Archives of General Psychiatry, 46, 145–150. https:// doi.org/10.1001/archpsyc.1989.01810020047008.

Haagen, J. F., Smid, G. E., Knipscheer, J. W., & Kleber, R. J. (2015). The efficacy of recommended treatments for veterans with PTSD: a metaregression analysis. Clinical Psychology Review, 40, 184–194. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2015.06.008.

Ironson, G., Freund, B., Strauss, J. L., & Williams, J. (2002). Comparison of two treatments for traumatic stress: A community‐based study of EMDR and prolonged exposure. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 58, 113–128. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.1132.

Jeffries, F. W., & Davis, P. (2013). What is the role of eye movements in eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)? A review. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 41, 290–300. https://doi. org/10.1017/S1352465812000793.

Lang, P. J. (1977). Imagery in therapy: an information processing analysis of fear. Behavior Therapy, 8, 862– 886. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0005-7894(77)80157-3.

Lee, C., Gavriel, H., Drummond, P., Richards, J., & Greenwald, R. (2002). Treatment of PTSD: Stress inoculation training with prolonged exposure compared to EMDR. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 58, 1071–1089. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.10039.

Mahmoudi-Gharaei, J., Mohammadi, M. R., Bina, M., Yasami, M. T., & Fakour, Y. (2006). Supportive and cognitive behavioral group interventions on Bam earthquake related PTSD symptoms in adolescents. Tehran University Medical Journal, 64, 57–67.

Matthews, M. M., & Williams, H. G. (2008). Can Tai chi enhance cognitive vitality? A preliminary study of cognitive executive control in older adults after a Tai chi intervention. Journal of the South Carolina Medical Association, 104, 255–257.

Mirdoraghi, F., Hashemabady, G., & Mashhadi, A. (2012). Cognitive and behavioral inhibition in veterans with-and without post-traumatic stress disorder. Journal of Military Medicine, 14, 41–47.

Narimani, M., & Rajabi, S. (2009). Comparison of efficacy of eye movement, desensitization and reprocessing and cognitive behavioral therapy methods in the treatment of stress disorder. Medical Science Journal of Islamic Azad University, 19, 236–245.

Nixon, R. D., & Bralo, D. (2019). Using explicit case formulation to improve cognitive processing therapy for PTSD. Behavior Therapy, 50, 155–164. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2018.04.003.

O’Doherty, D. C., Tickell, A., Ryder, W., Chan, C., Hermens, D. F., Bennett, M. R., & Lagopoulos, J. (2017). Frontal and subcortical grey matter reductions in PTSD. Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging, 266, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pscychresns.2017.05.008.

Padmanabhanunni, A., & Edwards, D. J. (2016). Derailed by a sugar daddy: an investigation of the failed treatment of an adolescent township rape survivor with PTSD. Child Abuse Research in South Africa, 17, 83–94.

Paunović, N. (2010). Behavioral-cognitive inhibition theory: Conceptualization of post-traumatic stress disorder and other psychopathology disorders. Psychology, 1, 349–366. https://doi.org/10.4236/ psych.2010.15044.

Renfrey, G., & Spates, C. R. (1994). Eye movement desensitization: a partial dismantling study. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 25, 231–239. https://doi.org/10.1016/0005- 7916(94)90023-X.

Resick, P. A., Nishith, P., Weaver, T. L., Astin, M. C., & Feuer, C. A. (2002). A comparison of cognitive processing therapy with prolonged exposure and a waiting condition for the treatment of chronic posttraumatic stress disorder in female rape victims. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 70, 867. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-006X.70.4.867.

Rosenhan, D. L., & Seligman, M. E. (1995). Abnormal psychology. New York: WW Norton & Co.

Rothbaum, B. O., Cahill, S. P., Foa, E. B., Davidson, J. R., Compton, J., Connor, K. M., Astin, M. C., & Hahn, C. G. (2006). Augmentation of sertraline with prolonged exposure in the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 19, 625–638. https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.20170.

Sadatmadani, S., Tavallaii Zavareh, A., & Tavallaii, V. (2018). Effectiveness of regular eye movement desensitization and reprocessing in therapy and reducing the symptoms of anxiety. Health Research Journal, 3, 37–43. https://doi.org/10.29252/hrjbaq.3.1.37.

Scott, J. C., Harb, G., Brownlow, J. A., Greene, J., Gur, R. C., & Ross, R. J. (2017). Verbal memory functioning moderates psychotherapy treatment response for PTSD-related nightmares. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 91, 24–32. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2017.01.004.

Shapiro, F. (1994). Alternative stimuli in the use of EMD (R). Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 25, 89. https://doi.org/10.1016/0005-7916 (94)90071-X.

Shapiro, F. (1996). Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR): Evaluation of controlled PTSD research. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 27, 209–218. https://doi. org/10.1016/S0005-7916(96)00029-8.

Shapiro, F. (1998). EMDR manuals. Dhaka: Bangladesh Shapiro, F., & Solomon, R. M. (2010). Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing. In I. Weiner & W. E. Craighead (Eds.), The Corsini encyclopedia of psychology (4th ed., Vol. 2) (pp. 629–632). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Wright, J. H., Brown, G. K., Thase, M. E., & Basco, M. R. (2017). Learning cognitive-behavior therapy: an illustrated guide. Washington, DC: APA Publishing.

Zimmermann, P., Biesold, K. H., Barre, K., & Lanczik, M. (2007). Long-term course of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in German soldiers: Effects of inpatient eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy and specific trauma characteristics in patients with non-combat-related PTSD. Military Medicine, 172, 456–460. https://doi.org/10.7205/ milmed.172.5.456.

Downloads

Published

2020-01-30

How to Cite

Moghadam, S. A. ., Kazemi, R., & Taklavi, S. (2020). Comparing the effectiveness of eye movement desensitization reprocessing and cognitive behavioral therapy in reducing post traumatic stress disorder. Health Psychology Report, 8(1), 31–37. https://doi.org/10.5114/hpr.2019.92305

Issue

Section

Artykuły