Methods: A systematic search for randomized clinical trials has been carried out in the PUBMED, CINAHL, Psyc-INFO and Cochrane Library search engines. We included individuals exposed to a recent traumatic event (within 3 months of a traumatic incident). Outcomes on PTSD, depression and anxiety in post-treatment, and at follow-up at 3, 6 and 12 months, as well as on safety and tolerability were extracted.

Results: A total of 11 RCTs were found. Studies showed beneficial effects of early EMDR interventions on post-traumatic symptoms at post-treatment and at 3-month follow-up. No differences were found between EMDR and no intervention or another intervention in the remaining analyses.

Limitations: The main limitations are the low quality of the studies, the small number of studies per outcome assessed, and the small sample sizes.

Conclusions: There is evidence for the short-term beneficial effect of early EMDR interventions on post-traumatic symptoms. Although it appears to be a safe therapeutic choice, more studies are necessary that include safety data.”