25 years of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR): The EMDR therapy protocol, hypotheses of its mechanism of action and a systematic review of its efficacy in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder

Abstract Eye movement desensitizationand reprocessing(EMDR) is a relatively new psychotherapy that has gradually gained popularity for the treatment of post- traumatic stressdisorder. In the present work, the standardised EMDR protocol is introduced, along with current hypotheses of its mechanism of action, as well as a critical review of the available literature on its clinical effectiveness in adult post- traumatic stressdisorder. A systematic review of the published literature was performed using PubMed and PsycINFOdatabases with the keywords “ eye movement desensitizationand reprocessing” and “post- traumatic stressdisorder” and its abbreviations “EMDR” and “PTSD”. Fifteen randomised controlled trials of good methodological quality were selected. These studies compared EMDR with unspecific interventions, waiting lists, or specific therapies. Overall, the results of these studies suggest that EMDR is a useful, evidence-based tool for the treatment of post- traumatic stressdisorder, in line with recent recommendations from different international healthorganisations.