Implementing an eye movement and desensitization reprocessing treatment-program for women with posttraumatic stress disorder after childbirth
The purpose of this study is to describe the implementation and outcomes of an EMDR treatment-program for women with PTSD after childbirth.
Article Abstract
“Purpose: The purpose of this study is to describe the implementation and outcomes of an Eye Movement and Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) treatment-program for women with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after childbirth.
Methods: A prospective cohort-study with pre- and post-measurements was carried out in the setting of an academic hospital in the Netherland. Included were women who gave birth to a living child at least 4 weeks ago, with a diagnosis of PTSD, or severe symptoms of PTSD combined with another psychiatric diagnosis. All received up to 8 sessions of EMDR-therapy. The posttraumatic stress disorder Checklist for DSM-5 was administered before and after treatment. Trauma history was assessed before treatment with the Life Events Checklist for the DSM-5, the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire and the Childbirth Perception Scale. Descriptive statistics were used.
Results: Forty-four women were referred, 26 met the inclusion criteria. After treatment, none of the women met the criteria for diagnosis of PTSD after on average 5 weekly sessions of EMDR- therapy. These outcomes are promising, as they were achieved in women with relatively high levels of psychiatric comorbidity (64%) and high rates of previous mental health treatment (80%).
Conclusion: Implementing an EMDR-treatment program for women with PTSD after childbirth in the setting of an academic hospital is feasible and effective. Key factors for success include a close collaboration between the relevant hospital departments and a thorough case conceptualization addressing the etiology of the PTSD.”
—Description from publisher
Article Access
Open Access
Kranenburg, L. W., Bijma, H. H., Eggink, A. J., Knijff, E. M., Lambregtse-van den Berg, M. P. (2022). Implementing an eye movement and desensitization reprocessing treatment-program for women with posttraumatic stress disorder after childbirth. Frontiers in Psychology: Psychology for Clinical Settings, 797901. Open access: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.797901
Date
January 20, 2022
Creator(s)
Leonieke W. Kranenburg, Hilmar H. Bijma, Alex J. Eggink
Contributor(s)
Esther M. Knijff, Mijke P. Lambregtse-van den Berg
Topics
Pregnancy/Perinatal, PTSD
Extent
7 pages
Publisher
Frontiers
Rights
Copyright © 2022 Kranenburg, Bijma, Eggink, Knijff and Lambregtse-van den Berg. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited
and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
APA Citation
Kranenburg, L. W., Bijma, H. H., Eggink, A. J., Knijff, E. M., Lambregtse-van den Berg, M. P. (2022). Implementing an eye movement and desensitization reprocessing treatment-program for women with posttraumatic stress disorder after childbirth. Frontiers in Psychology: Psychology for Clinical Settings, 797901. Open access: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.797901
Audience
EMDR Therapists, Other Mental Health Professionals
Language
English
Content Type
Article, Peer-Reviewed
Access Type
External Resource, Open Access
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