Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing in PTSD: Neurobiology and its applications in other mental disorders

This chapter provides an overview of EMDR’s clinical value and a review of studies that stress the role of psychotherapy in treating pathological conditions in which the role of past traumatic events has been ascertained.

Abut the Chapter:

“The number of researchers focused on Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) have increased dramatically, often finding that neuroimaging is a powerful tool for investigating EMDR’s neurobiological correlates. EMDR has been recommended by several guidelines, along with trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TFCBT), as a frontline treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Furthermore, the application of EMDR beyond PTSD has expanded rapidly and recent scholars have underlined its efficacy to successfully treat two major public health problems—depression and addiction. This chapter provides an overview of EMDR’s clinical value as well as a review of the scholarship, particularly those studies that stress the role of versatile psychotherapy in treating pathological conditions in which the role of past traumatic events has been ascertained.”

About the Book:

“The Handbook of Posttraumatic Stress provides a comprehensive review of posttraumatic stress in its multiple dimensions, analyzing causation and epidemiology through prevention and treatment.

Written by a diverse group of scholars, practitioners, and advocates, the chapters in this book seek to understand the history, the politics, and the biological, psychological, and social processes underlying posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Featuring studies that focus on some of the most seriously affected occupational groups, the text examines topics such as how individuals experience PTSD in different work settings and the complexities of diagnosis, treatment, and recovery for those workers and their families. Together, the contributions provide an in-depth examination of the current understood causes, impacts, and treatments of and for posttraumatic stress, mobilizing academic, administrative, and clinical knowledge, and lived experience to inform ongoing and future work in the field. Drawing from range of different topics, fields of study, and research methods, this text will appeal to readers across medical, mental health, and academic disciplines.

eBook ISBN: 9781351134637”

—Description from publisher

Chapter Access:

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Trentini, C., Carletto, S., & Pagani, M. (2021). Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing in PTSD: Neurobiology and its applications in other mental disorders. In R. Ricciardelli, S. Bornstein, A. Hall, & N. Carleton (Eds.). Handbook of posttraumatic stress: Psychosocial, cultural, and biological perspectives. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781351134637