The DOI matches its Crossref record; 13 of the 14 references it cites were found in a registry or an index, and 1 are not checked yet.
PTSD treatment in times of COVID-19: A systematic review of the effects of online EMDR
Open accessAbstract
COVID-19 affects many societies by measures as "social distancing", forcing mental health care professionals to deliver treatments online or via telephone. In this context, online Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an emerging treatment for patients with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). We performed a systematic review of studies investigating online EMDR for PTSD. Only one trial was identified. That uncontrolled open trial showed promising results. There is an urgent need to further examine the effects of online EMDR for PTSD, before its wider dissemination is warranted. Remotely delivered cognitive behavioural therapy seems the preferred PTSD-treatment in times of COVID-19.
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Generally EMDR is an effective and efficient therapy with a growing evidence base for remotely delivered EMDR.
“Generally EMDR is an effective and efficient therapy with a growing evidence base for remotely delivered EMDR.33–37”
From “It saved me”: A thematic analysis of experiences of psychological therapy following critical illness and intensive care (2024) · cites this paper as [37]
The introduction in our copy says systematic reviews and meta-analyses found EMDR effective for reducing PTSD symptoms. But the review’s Abstract identifies only one uncontrolled online-EMDR trial and says further research is urgently needed before wider use. It does not establish that EMDR is efficient or that the evidence base for remotely delivered EMDR is growing. (LLM, conf=0.88)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredEMDR is effective in alleviating PTSD symptoms across a range of populations, including adults and Syrian refugees.
“Research has shown that EMDR is effective in alleviating symptoms of PTSD across a range of populations, including adults and Syrian refugees [73,74].”
From Clinical Efficacy of Psychotherapeutic Interventions for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Analysis. (2024) · cites this paper as [73]
The paper states that systematic reviews and meta-analyses found EMDR effective in reducing PTSD symptoms. It also describes symptom reductions in an adult trial, but that trial combined online EMDR with CBT and could not isolate EMDR’s effect. No passage in our copy addresses Syrian refugees, so the claimed range of populations is not supported by this source. (LLM, conf=0.89)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
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Citations
Cites
1 retracted
The Efficacy of EMDR in the Treatment of Depression
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Self-citation
Flagged first, then by citations
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Cited by
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“The EMDR was rated as strongly recommended by the new International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies guidelines (Bisson et al., 2019) for the treatment of PTSD in children, adolescents, and adults.”
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“Research has shown that EMDR is effective in alleviating symptoms of PTSD across a range of populations, including adults and Syrian refugees [73,74].”
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“For example, in what appears to be the only trial of online EMDR (Lenferink et al., 2020), Spence et al.”
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“Lenferink Meyerbroker & Boelen [29] specifically sought papers investigating the efficacy on”
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“However, more research is needed to reveal the effect of EMDR therapy on PTSD during the COVID-19 pandemic (Lenferink et al., 2020).”
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“Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the adaptability of EMDR, as the shift to online therapy demonstrated its flexibility in providing continuous care when traditional face-to-face therapies were disrupted [11].”
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“Research has shown that EMDR significantly reduces PTSD symptoms and helps individuals experience significant improvement in their overall well-being [42,46].”
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“Widely-used interventions are not always better than alternatives [29], and randomised controlled trials are needed to confirm that EMDR therapy online is clinically non-inferior to in-person working [30].”
BackgroundPTSD and complex PTSD, current treatments and debates: a review of reviews
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“in 2013 found that combined internet-delivered CBT and online Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) reduced the severity of PTSD in adults and children [36].”
BackgroundResultInfluentialPsychological treatment of traumatic memories in COVID‐19 survivors
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“Whilst results of these studies show promising results, the quality of the evidence for the e ff ectiveness of online EMDR for PTSD is very low (Lenferink et al., 2020).”
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“Evidence is available about the effectiveness of the TF-CBT [43] and the EMDR [44,45] therapies delivered in an online format.”
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Metadata
- Authors
- Lenferink, L. I. M., Meyerbröker, K., & Boelen, P. A.
- Affiliations
- University of Groningen (NL)
- Utrecht University (NL)
- Corresponding author
- Lenferink, L.I.M.
- Venue
- Psychiatry Research
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2020-11
- Volume
- 293
- Pages
- 113438
- ISSN
- 0165-1781 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC7458053
- OpenAlex
- W3082966463
- Cited by
- 56
- References
- 12
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 13 · 2022: 13 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 1
- FWCI
- 0.75
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Psychiatry Research (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- University of Groningen research database (University of Groningen / Centre for Information Technology) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- Utrecht University Repository (Utrecht University) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- University of Groningen research database (University of Groningen / Centre for Information Technology) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › COVID-19 and Mental Health
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Telemedicine and Telehealth Implementation
- Keywords
- post-traumatic stress disorder, EMDR, COVID-19 pandemic, telemedicine, remote psychotherapy, social distancing, cognitive behavioral therapy, treatment efficacy
- MeSH terms
- Betacoronavirus, COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, Humans, Pneumonia, Viral, Social Isolation, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Telemedicine, Coronavirus Infections, Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing, Pandemics
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