EMDR therapy for depression

This chapter explores how EMDR can assist individuals suffering from depression, provides evidence of EMDR’s efficacy, and describes how to use EMDR to target key clinical aspects of depression.

Chapter Abstract

“Depression is a pervasive global disorder. Many individuals with depression either fail to respond positively to current evidence-based interventions or relapse in the years after treatment has ceased. The last decade has seen an increase in randomized controlled trials investigating the impact of EMDR therapy on people with depression. Meta-analyses of these studies suggest that there is evidence emerging to support using EMDR therapy as a treatment for depression when compared to inactive controls, such as a waitlist, and also active controls, such as cognitive behavioral therapy. This chapter begins with a theoretical analysis of why EMDR can assist individuals suffering from depression. An outline of the evidence regarding EMDR therapy and depression is then provided, followed by a description of the key clinical factors to assess in depression and how to use EMDR to target key etiological experiences. Finally a case study is given to demonstrate how this intervention may be delivered when working with this population. Future studies to improve the current evidence base are recommended.”

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Chapter Access

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Dominguez, S. K. & Lee, C. W. (2024). EMDR therapy for depression. In D. P. Farrell, S. J. Schubert, & M. D. Kiernan (Eds.), The Oxford Handbook of EMDR therapy. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780192898357.013.7

Book Information

—Description from publisher