Using eye movement therapy to reduce trauma after intensive care

This article describes a small pilot study conducted with patients who had been in intensive care and were experiencing PTSD symptoms.

Article Abstract

“Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing was developed in the 1980s by an American clinical psychologist, who found that certain eye movements reduced the emotional grip of disturbing thoughts. It uses bilateral brain stimulation to process memories of traumatic events through adaptive information processing. The technique is now a recognised psychological therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder. This article discusses the therapy, its mechanisms and treatment protocol, and describes a small pilot study conducted with patients who had been in intensive care and were experiencing PTSD symptoms.

Key Points:

• Patients in intensive care are at higher risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) than the general population
• Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR) is a recognised therapy for PTSD
• Our brains assimilate new experiences into existing memory networks through adaptive information processing
• Traumatic experiences are often inadequately processed by the brain, causing flashbacks and other symptoms of PTSD
• EMDR uses bilateral brain stimulation to reprocess memories of traumatic events”

—Description from publisher

Article Access

Open Access

Hulme, T. (2018). Using eye movement therapy to reduce trauma after intensive care. Nursing Times, 114(3), 18-21. Open access retrieval: https://www.nursingtimes.net/mental-health/using-eye-movement-therapy-to-reduce-trauma-after-intensive-care-12-02-2018/(opens in new tab)