TY - JOUR
T1 - Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing in Young Children (Ages 4–8) with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Multiple-Baseline Evaluation
AU - Olivier, Eline
AU - de Roos, Carlijn
AU - Bexkens, Anika
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.
PY - 2021
Y1 - 2021
N2 - To reduce the acute and long-term effects of trauma, early and effective treatment is necessary. Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is a brief treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), with a substantial evidence base for children and adolescents aged 8 to 18 years. In the present study we aimed to provide preliminary evidence of EMDR as a trauma treatment for young children. We studied 9 children, aged 4 to 8 years old with a DSM-5 diagnosis of PTSD. A non-concurrent multiple baseline experimental design was used combined with standardized measures. Participants received six 1-h sessions of EMDR. Results post-treatment showed that EMDR was effective in reaching diagnostic remission of PTSD (85.7%), and decreasing severity of PTSD symptoms and emotional and behavioral problems. All gains were maintained at follow-up 3 months after treatment. EMDR appears an effective treatment for PTSD in young children aged 4 to 8 years. Further research is warranted.
AB - To reduce the acute and long-term effects of trauma, early and effective treatment is necessary. Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is a brief treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), with a substantial evidence base for children and adolescents aged 8 to 18 years. In the present study we aimed to provide preliminary evidence of EMDR as a trauma treatment for young children. We studied 9 children, aged 4 to 8 years old with a DSM-5 diagnosis of PTSD. A non-concurrent multiple baseline experimental design was used combined with standardized measures. Participants received six 1-h sessions of EMDR. Results post-treatment showed that EMDR was effective in reaching diagnostic remission of PTSD (85.7%), and decreasing severity of PTSD symptoms and emotional and behavioral problems. All gains were maintained at follow-up 3 months after treatment. EMDR appears an effective treatment for PTSD in young children aged 4 to 8 years. Further research is warranted.
KW - Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing
KW - Multiple baseline experimental design
KW - Posttraumatic stress disorder
KW - Young children
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85114378632&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-021-01237-z
DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-021-01237-z
M3 - Article
C2 - 34487289
SN - 0009-398X
JO - Child psychiatry and human development
JF - Child psychiatry and human development
ER -