Online EMDR-based clinical social work intervention for depression and anxiety: A mixed-methods single-case study

This study provided a process-focused account of online EMDR-informed clinical social work practice and suggested its potential feasibility for addressing depression- and anxiety-related symptoms in digitally delivered interventions.

Article Abstract

“Process-oriented research on online Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) in clinical social work remains limited. This single-case study employed an embedded mixed-methods design within an A-B framework to examine an online EMDR intervention with an adult client experiencing depression and anxiety. Symptom change was assessed through the Beck Depression Inventory, Beck Anxiety Inventory, Subjective Units of Disturbance (SUD), Validity of Cognition (VOC) scores, and clinical observations across sessions. Pretest-posttest findings indicated reductions in depression and anxiety symptoms. Session-level data further showed decreases in subjective distress and qualitative indications of changes in maladaptive cognitions, emotional regulation, and somatic responses during memory processing. The intervention also highlighted practice considerations specific to online delivery, including privacy, technological stability, pacing, client safety, and therapeutic containment. Although limited by the single-case design and absence of a control condition, the findings provide a process-focused account of online EMDR-informed clinical social work practice and suggest its potential feasibility for addressing depression- and anxiety-related symptoms in digitally delivered interventions.”

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Yıldız, N. & Zahid Kara, H. (2026). Online EMDR-based clinical social work intervention for depression and anxiety: A mixed-methods single-case study. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, Latest Articles. https://doi.org/10.1080/10911359.2026.2714458