Research Article
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Abstract
This pilot study evaluated the effectiveness of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) in treating posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and concomitant depressive and anxiety symptoms in survivors of life-threatening cardiac events. Forty-two patients undergoing cardiac rehabilitation who (a) qualified for the PTSD criterion “A” in relation to a cardiac event and (b) presented clinically significant PTSD symptoms were randomized to a 4-week treatment of EMDR or imaginal exposure (IE). Data were gathered on PTSD, anxiety, and depressive symptoms at pretreatment, posttreatment, and 6-month follow-up. EMDR was effective in reducing PTSD, depressive, and anxiety symptoms and performed significantly better than IE for all variables. These findings provide preliminary support for EMDR as an effective treatment for the symptoms of PTSD, depression, and anxiety that can follow a life-threatening cardiac event.
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Tables
TABLE 1
Means for the Overall Sample With 95% Confidence Intervals (n = 42)
| EMDR | IE | |||
| Outcome | Means | 95% CIs | Means | 95% CIs |
| IES-R | ||||
| Pretreatment | 33.62 | (30.34–36.90) | 32.29 | (29.01–35.57) |
| Posttreatment | 12.10 | (8.82–15.37) | 19.67 | (16.39–22.95) |
| Follow-up | 7.95 | (4.37–11.53) | 13.64 | (10.20–17.09) |
| BDI | ||||
| Pretreatment | 17.14 | (13.85–20.44) | 15.57 | (12.28–18.87) |
| Posttreatment | 6.38 | (3.09–9.68) | 11.48 | (8.18–14.77) |
| Follow-up | 5.34 | (1.73–8.95) | 9.50 | (6.03–12.97) |
| STAI-1 | ||||
| Pretreatment | 48.67 | (45.13–52.20) | 44.90 | (41.37–48.44) |
| Posttreatment | 33.10 | (29.56–36.63) | 40.19 | (36.65–43.73) |
| Follow-up | 32.45 | (28.59–36.30) | 37.95 | (34.24–41.66) |
| STAI-2 | ||||
| Pretreatment | 41.00 | (36.93–45.08) | 40.43 | (36.35–44.50) |
| Posttreatment | 32.90 | (28.83–36.98) | 39.62 | (35.54–43.69) |
| Follow-up | 32.86 | (28.64–37.09) | 39.07 | (34.91–43.22) |
Note. CI = confidence interval; EMDR = eye movement desensitization and reprocessing; IE = imaginal exposure; IES-R = Impact of Event Scale—Revised; BDI = Beck Depression Inventory; STAI-1 = State-Trait Anxiety Inventory–1; STAI-2 = State-Trait Anxiety Inventory–2.
TABLE 2
Means With 95% Confidence Intervals for Participants Scoring 33 or Greater on the IES-R (n = 19)
| EMDR | IE | |||
| Outcome | Means | 95% CIs | Means | 95% CIs |
| IES-R | ||||
| Pretreatment | 40.00 | (35.53–44.47) | 40.88 | (35.63–46.12) |
| Posttreatment | 13.73 | (9.25–18.20) | 25.13 | (19.88–30.37) |
| Follow-up | 8.03 | (2.97–13.08) | 17.67 | (12.16–23.19) |
| BDI | ||||
| Pretreatment | 17.64 | (12.98–22.23) | 16.00 | (10.54–21.46) |
| Posttreatment | 6.09 | (1.43–10.75) | 14.75 | (9.29–20.21) |
| Follow-up | 4.71 | (−.65–10.06) | 12.36 | (6.58–18.15) |
| STAI-1 | ||||
| Pretreatment | 53.09 | (48.29–57.89) | 49.75 | (44.12–55.39) |
| Posttreatment | 32.55 | (27.74–37.35) | 45.25 | (39.62–50.89) |
| Follow-up | 30.00 | (24.67–35.34) | 43.86 | (37.98–49.74) |
| STAI-2 | ||||
| Pretreatment | 40.73 | (35.05–46.41) | 45.38 | (38.71–52.04) |
| Posttreatment | 32.64 | (26.96–38.32) | 46.25 | (39.59–52.91) |
| Follow-up | 30.73 | (24.79–36.67) | 46.63 | (38.85–52.40) |
Note. CI = confidence interval; EMDR = eye movement desensitization and reprocessing; IE = imaginal exposure; IES-R = Impact of Event Scale—Revised; BDI = Beck Depression Inventory; STAI-1 = State-Trait Anxiety Inventory–1; STAI-2 = State-Trait Anxiety Inventory–2.
Article usage
| Period | Abstract | Full | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 2024 | 18 | 25 | 6 | 49 |
| Mar 2024 | 30 | 28 | 16 | 74 |
| Feb 2024 | 19 | 15 | 11 | 45 |
| Jan 2024 | 27 | 25 | 13 | 65 |
| Dec 2023 | 40 | 8 | 5 | 53 |
| Nov 2023 | 40 | 15 | 8 | 63 |
| Oct 2023 | 42 | 20 | 16 | 78 |
| Sep 2023 | 58 | 14 | 6 | 78 |
| Aug 2023 | 23 | 12 | 18 | 53 |
| Jul 2023 | 17 | 8 | 30 | 55 |
| Jun 2023 | 19 | 19 | 6 | 44 |
| May 2023 | 24 | 18 | 8 | 50 |
| Apr 2023 | 11 | 25 | 12 | 48 |
| Mar 2023 | 29 | 14 | 13 | 56 |
| Feb 2023 | 20 | 12 | 8 | 40 |
| Jan 2023 | 44 | 48 | 18 | 110 |
| Dec 2022 | 38 | 10 | 4 | 52 |
| Nov 2022 | 31 | 14 | 7 | 52 |
| Oct 2022 | 54 | 34 | 12 | 100 |
| Sep 2022 | 16 | 25 | 7 | 48 |
| Aug 2022 | 32 | 15 | 4 | 51 |
| Jul 2022 | 24 | 10 | 5 | 39 |
| Jun 2022 | 47 | 9 | 11 | 67 |
| May 2022 | 61 | 15 | 10 | 86 |
| Apr 2022 | 20 | 14 | 8 | 42 |
| Mar 2022 | 76 | 15 | 6 | 97 |
| Feb 2022 | 14 | 11 | 7 | 32 |
| Jan 2022 | 16 | 15 | 3 | 34 |
| Dec 2021 | 20 | 19 | 9 | 48 |
| Nov 2021 | 24 | 33 | 8 | 65 |
| Oct 2021 | 22 | 27 | 4 | 53 |
| Sep 2021 | 19 | 25 | 3 | 47 |
| Aug 2021 | 36 | 22 | 2 | 60 |
| Jul 2021 | 18 | 21 | 2 | 41 |
| Jun 2021 | 21 | 24 | 5 | 50 |
| May 2021 | 37 | 38 | 11 | 86 |
| Apr 2021 | 42 | 27 | 13 | 82 |
| Mar 2021 | 42 | 34 | 8 | 84 |
| Feb 2021 | 51 | 21 | 4 | 76 |
| Jan 2021 | 311 | 26 | 12 | 349 |
| Dec 2020 | 69 | 17 | 5 | 91 |
| Nov 2020 | 33 | 16 | 11 | 60 |
| Oct 2020 | 40 | 31 | 10 | 81 |
| Sep 2020 | 19 | 22 | 7 | 48 |
| Aug 2020 | 145 | 22 | 8 | 175 |
| Jul 2020 | 558 | 11 | 2 | 571 |
| Jun 2020 | 166 | 13 | 9 | 188 |
| May 2020 | 26 | 14 | 1 | 41 |
| Apr 2020 | 163 | 26 | 12 | 201 |
| Mar 2020 | 335 | 15 | 8 | 358 |
| Feb 2020 | 166 | 28 | 10 | 204 |
| Jan 2020 | 186 | 11 | 6 | 203 |
| Dec 2019 | 195 | 24 | 4 | 223 |
| Nov 2019 | 42 | 18 | 4 | 64 |
| Oct 2019 | 8 | 20 | 13 | 41 |
| Sep 2019 | 6 | 9 | 2 | 17 |
| Aug 2019 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 15 |
| Jul 2019 | 6 | 24 | 2 | 32 |
| Jun 2019 | 3 | 30 | 5 | 38 |
| May 2019 | 4 | 16 | 4 | 24 |
| Apr 2019 | 10 | 25 | 12 | 47 |
| Mar 2019 | 3 | 12 | 4 | 19 |
| Feb 2019 | 9 | 24 | 3 | 36 |
| Jan 2019 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 11 |
| Dec 2018 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 16 |
| Nov 2018 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Oct 2018 | 23 | 3 | 2 | 28 |
| Sep 2018 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 7 |
| Aug 2018 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Jul 2018 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
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