Childhood-related PTSD: The role of cognitions in EMDR and imagery rescripting
This article analyzes the role of trauma-related negative cognitions in the treatment of PTSD due to childhood trauma with EMDR and imagery rescripting (ImRs).
Article Abstract
“Background: The relationship between trauma-related negative cognitions and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms has been studied frequently. Several studies found a mediating effect of trauma-related negative cognitions on symptom reduction in studies on different psychotherapeutic treatments, however, this relationship has never been studied in imagery rescripting (ImRs) or eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR).
Objective: To analyse the role of trauma-related negative cognitions in the treatment of PTSD due to childhood trauma with EMDR and ImRs.
Method: N = 155 patients with PTSD due to childhood trauma aged between 18 and 65 (M = 38.54) participated in a randomized clinical trial and were treated with either EMDR or ImRs in Australia, Germany, and the Netherlands between October 2014 and June 2019. We analysed the relationship between PTSD symptoms (Clinician-administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5, CAPS-5 and Impact of Event Scale revised; IES-R, completed twice for index trauma and for all other traumas) and trauma-related negative cognitions (Post-Traumatic Cognitions Inventory, PTCI) using Granger Causality analyses with linear mixed models on person-centered variables. Assessments were conducted pre-treatment, post-treatment (12 sessions in 6 weeks), eight weeks post-treatment, and one year after the pre-treatment assessment.
Results: Changes in negative cognitions (PTCI) preceded changes in PTSD symptoms (unidirectional) as measured by the CAPS and the IES-R for index trauma. For the IES-R related to all other traumas, a unidirectional relationship was found in which changes in PTSD symptoms preceded changes in negative cognitions. No moderating effect of treatment was found. On the level of PTCI subscales only changes in cognitions about oneself preceeded changes in PTSD symptoms.
Conclusions: The results support the idea of a general role of trauma-related negative cognitions in the treatment of PTSD. The analyses should be replicated with a higher frequency of assessments.”
—Description from publisher
Article Access
Open Access
Assman, N., Rameckers, S. A., Schaich, A., Lee, C. W., Boterhoven de Haan, K., Rijkeboer, M. M., Arntz, A., & Fassbinder, E. (2024). Childhood-related PTSD: The role of cognitions in EMDR and imagery rescripting. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 15(1), 2397890. Open access: https://doi.org/10.1080/20008066.2024.2397890
Date
September 12, 2024
Creator(s)
Nele Assmann, Sophie A. Rameckers, Anja Schaich
Contributor(s)
Christopher W. Lee, Katrina Boterhoven de Haan, Marleen M. Rijkeboer, Arnoud Arntz, Eva Fassbinder
Topics
Childhood Trauma, PTSD
Extent
10 pages
Publisher
Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group
Rights
© 2024 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. The terms on which this article has been published allow the posting of the Accepted Manuscript in a repository by the author(s) or with their consent.
APA Citation
Assman, N., Rameckers, S. A., Schaich, A., Lee, C. W., Boterhoven de Haan, K., Rijkeboer, M. M., Arntz, A., & Fassbinder, E. (2024). Childhood-related PTSD: The role of cognitions in EMDR and imagery rescripting. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 15(1), 2397890. Open access: https://doi.org/10.1080/20008066.2024.2397890
Audience
EMDR Therapists, Other Mental Health Professionals
Language
English
Content Type
Article, Peer-Reviewed
Access Type
External Resource, Open Access
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