The Effect of Dual Attention in an EMDR Intervention

Launched by UNIVERSIDAD COMPLUTENSE DE MADRID · Oct 26, 2022

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This randomized clinical trial is studying three ways of delivering EMDR therapy for people with posttraumatic symptoms. All participants receive 10 EMDR sessions, but they are randomly assigned to one of three approaches: EMDR with dual attention (processing the trauma while paying attention to two things at once), EMDR with a fixed point (processing while focusing on a steady point), or EMDR with exposure (processing the memory without dual attention). The researchers want to see which method best reduces posttraumatic symptoms, general psychological distress, and dissociative symptoms, and how it affects well-being, life satisfaction, emotion regulation, and attachment, measured at about 10 weeks and then at 6 months.

Who can join? Adults 18–65 who speak Spanish and who screen as having a high risk of PTSD are eligible, provided they don’t have safety concerns such as active suicidal thoughts, a recent self-harm attempt, severe substance dependence, significant intellectual or cognitive problems, or recent EMDR treatment. The trial is being conducted at a clinic near Madrid, Spain, and is enrolling about 100 participants by invitation. It is a randomized, single-blind study (the people assessing outcomes don’t know which treatment you received) and it’s not FDA-regulated. No results are available yet, with study completion expected in 2026.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• * Those showing a high risk of PTSD (TSQ ≥6 or TSQ ≥4 with clinical criteria) will be further evaluated to determine whether they meet the inclusion criteria. Participants must:
• • 1. Be between the ages of 18 and 65 fluent enough in Spanish language; 2.
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Present severe active suicidal ideation, or have made a self-injurious attempt during the last month.
• • Present a diagnosis of substance dependence, intellectual disability or severe cognitive dysfunction.
• • Participants with a score greater than or equal to 26 on the BDI-II, the inclusion of the person in the study will be assessed by clinical criteria.
• • Having received EMDR treatment in the last 6 months.
• • Also excluded from the program are those people who cannot guarantee continuity in the therapeutic process.