Feasibility of EMDR for posttraumatic stress disorder in patients with personality disorders: a pilot study
Background: Trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are prevalent in patients with personality disorders. Despite the established efficacy of eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR) for PTSD, EMDR has barely been examined in patients with comorbid PTSD and personality disorders....
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2019-12-01
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2019.1614822 |
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doaj-8fc8b3eb53864bf8ba0f8852113d309a2021-01-04T17:13:51ZengTaylor & Francis GroupEuropean Journal of Psychotraumatology2000-80662019-12-0110110.1080/20008198.2019.16148221614822Feasibility of EMDR for posttraumatic stress disorder in patients with personality disorders: a pilot studyChristina W. Slotema0David P. G. van den Berg1Annemieke Driessen2Bobbie Wilhelmus3Ingmar H. A. Franken4Parnassia Psychiatric InstituteParnassia Psychiatric InstituteParnassia Psychiatric InstituteParnassia Psychiatric InstituteErasmus University RotterdamBackground: Trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are prevalent in patients with personality disorders. Despite the established efficacy of eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR) for PTSD, EMDR has barely been examined in patients with comorbid PTSD and personality disorders. Objective: The aim of this study was to explore what changes occur in symptom severity of PTSD, dissociative symptoms, insomnia, non-suicidal self-injurious behaviour and auditory verbal hallucinations in patients with personality disorders during treatment with EMDR. Method: This uncontrolled open feasibility study on EMDR for PTSD was an addition to treatment-as-usual for personality disorders. The outcome measures were the severity of PTSD symptoms, dissociation, insomnia, non-suicidal self-injury, and auditory verbal hallucinations. Results: Forty-seven participants (22 with a borderline personality disorder, 25 with other personality disorders) were included. A significant reduction in the severity of symptoms of PTSD, dissociation and insomnia was observed after EMDR treatment (median of four sessions), and 40% of the participants scored below the threshold for PTSD diagnosis. No differences in efficacy were found between patients with borderline personality disorder and other personality disorders. EMDR treatment was completed by 68% of the participants. Conclusions: The addition of EMDR techniques to treatment, as usual, may be beneficial in the treatment of PTSD in patients with personality disorders in order to reduce symptoms of PTSD, dissociation and insomnia. Although one-third of these patients did not complete the additional EMDR treatment, no severe complications (e.g. suicidal behaviour or hospitalisation) occurred. Controlled studies are needed to further investigate the validity of these findings.http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2019.1614822psychotherapytraumadissociationnon-suicidal self-injuryauditory hallucinations |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Christina W. Slotema David P. G. van den Berg Annemieke Driessen Bobbie Wilhelmus Ingmar H. A. Franken |
spellingShingle |
Christina W. Slotema David P. G. van den Berg Annemieke Driessen Bobbie Wilhelmus Ingmar H. A. Franken Feasibility of EMDR for posttraumatic stress disorder in patients with personality disorders: a pilot study European Journal of Psychotraumatology psychotherapy trauma dissociation non-suicidal self-injury auditory hallucinations |
author_facet |
Christina W. Slotema David P. G. van den Berg Annemieke Driessen Bobbie Wilhelmus Ingmar H. A. Franken |
author_sort |
Christina W. Slotema |
title |
Feasibility of EMDR for posttraumatic stress disorder in patients with personality disorders: a pilot study |
title_short |
Feasibility of EMDR for posttraumatic stress disorder in patients with personality disorders: a pilot study |
title_full |
Feasibility of EMDR for posttraumatic stress disorder in patients with personality disorders: a pilot study |
title_fullStr |
Feasibility of EMDR for posttraumatic stress disorder in patients with personality disorders: a pilot study |
title_full_unstemmed |
Feasibility of EMDR for posttraumatic stress disorder in patients with personality disorders: a pilot study |
title_sort |
feasibility of emdr for posttraumatic stress disorder in patients with personality disorders: a pilot study |
publisher |
Taylor & Francis Group |
series |
European Journal of Psychotraumatology |
issn |
2000-8066 |
publishDate |
2019-12-01 |
description |
Background: Trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are prevalent in patients with personality disorders. Despite the established efficacy of eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR) for PTSD, EMDR has barely been examined in patients with comorbid PTSD and personality disorders. Objective: The aim of this study was to explore what changes occur in symptom severity of PTSD, dissociative symptoms, insomnia, non-suicidal self-injurious behaviour and auditory verbal hallucinations in patients with personality disorders during treatment with EMDR. Method: This uncontrolled open feasibility study on EMDR for PTSD was an addition to treatment-as-usual for personality disorders. The outcome measures were the severity of PTSD symptoms, dissociation, insomnia, non-suicidal self-injury, and auditory verbal hallucinations. Results: Forty-seven participants (22 with a borderline personality disorder, 25 with other personality disorders) were included. A significant reduction in the severity of symptoms of PTSD, dissociation and insomnia was observed after EMDR treatment (median of four sessions), and 40% of the participants scored below the threshold for PTSD diagnosis. No differences in efficacy were found between patients with borderline personality disorder and other personality disorders. EMDR treatment was completed by 68% of the participants. Conclusions: The addition of EMDR techniques to treatment, as usual, may be beneficial in the treatment of PTSD in patients with personality disorders in order to reduce symptoms of PTSD, dissociation and insomnia. Although one-third of these patients did not complete the additional EMDR treatment, no severe complications (e.g. suicidal behaviour or hospitalisation) occurred. Controlled studies are needed to further investigate the validity of these findings. |
topic |
psychotherapy trauma dissociation non-suicidal self-injury auditory hallucinations |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2019.1614822 |
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