Effect of early postpartum EMDR on reducing psychological complaints in women with a traumatic childbirth experience
women with a traumatic birth experience may benefit from EMDR, even if they do not qualify for a diagnosis of PTSD
Article Abstract
“This pilot study investigated the feasibility of postpartum Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) for improving posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and its association with work absence, relationship difficulties, and development of psychiatric disorders in women with a traumatic childbirth experience who do not meet all criteria for PTSD. A randomized controlled study was conducted among 20 women (EMDR (N=11) vs. care as usual (CAU) (N=9)) who reported a traumatic birth. Outcomes were measured by questionnaires and a semi-structured interview. The results showed improvement of trauma-related psychological complaints for all women. EMDR appears to be more effective in reducing PTSD symptoms than CAU. Moreover, EMDR showed a small positive effect on work absence due to factors related to the traumatic childbirth experience. Results from the questionnaires were substantiated by interviews. However, due to the small size of the study, no statistically significant differences were found. In addition, no differences were found for relationship difficulties and development of psychiatric disorders. In conclusion, women with a traumatic birth experience may benefit from EMDR, even if they do not qualify for a diagnosis of PTSD. This study could be a starting point for future research aimed at early treatment that reduces trauma-related psychological complaints in postpartum women.”
—Description from publisher
Article Access
Open Access
Kopmeiners, E. H. M., Hollander, M. H., van Voorst, N., & Stramrood, C. A. I. (2023). Effect of early postpartum EMDR on reducing psychological complaints in women with a traumatic childbirth experience. Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics & Gynecology, 44(1), 2229010. Open access: https://doi.org/10.1080/0167482X.2023.2229010
Date
July 13, 2023
Creator(s)
Emma H. M. Kopmeiners, Martine H. Hollander, Nicole van Voorst
Contributor(s)
Claire A. I. Stramrood
Topics
Pregnancy/Perinatal
Practice & Methods
EMDR Early Intervention
Extent
10 pages
Publisher
Taylor & Francis
Rights
© 2023 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 License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted 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
Kopmeiners, E. H. M., Hollander, M. H., van Voorst, N., & Stramrood, C. A. I. (2023). Effect of early postpartum EMDR on reducing psychological complaints in women with a traumatic childbirth experience. Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics & Gynecology, 44(1), 2229010. Open access: https://doi.org/10.1080/0167482X.2023.2229010
Audience
EMDR Therapists, Other Mental Health Professionals
Language
English
Content Type
Article, Peer-Reviewed
Access Type
External Resource, Open Access
