A new study conducted in the Netherlands has found that eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy significantly reduces personality disorder symptoms and helps patients achieve diagnostic remission. The research demonstrates EMDR’s potential as an effective treatment option for this challenging mental health condition.
Treatment Outcomes
EMDR therapy significantly outperformed a waiting-list control on all major outcome measures, with benefits evident both immediately after treatment and at the three-month follow-up. Patients receiving EMDR showed marked improvements in overall personality disorder severity, emotional regulation, and level of functioning.
Remission Rates
The remission data underscores the treatment’s effectiveness. Post-treatment, 38.3% of EMDR participants achieved remission compared with 6.8% in the control group. These gains persisted at follow-up, with 45.4% of EMDR participants maintaining remission three months after treatment compared with 5.9% of controls. A second diagnostic interview at the three-month follow-up showed similar results, with nearly half of EMDR recipients maintaining remission.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://medicaldialogues.in/psychiatry/news/emdr-therapy-shows-effectiveness-in-treating-personality-disorders-jama-156260