Stress management with law enforcement personnel: A controlled outcome study of EMDR versus a traditional stress management program

This randomized controlled trial found that a brief six-hour EMDR intervention was more effective than standard stress management in reducing PTSD symptoms, distress, job stress, and anger while improving marital satisfaction among police officers, with benefits maintained six months later.

Article Abstract

“Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) has been shown to be effective for treating posttraumatic stress disorder, but its efficacy as a stress management tool for normal individuals in highly stressful occupations has not been demonstrated. Sixty-two police officers were randomly assigned to either EMDR or a standard stress management program (SMP), each consisting of 6 hours of individualized contact. At completion, officers in the EMDR condition provided lower ratings on measures of PTSD symptoms, subjective distress, job stress, and anger; and higher marital satisfaction ratings than those in SMP. The effects of EMDR were maintained at the 6-month follow-up, indicating enduring gains from a relatively brief treatment regimen for this subclinical sample of officers who were experiencing some level of stress from their job.”

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Wilson, S. A., Tinker, R. H., Becker, L. A., & Logan, C. R. (2001). Stress management with law enforcement personnel: A controlled outcome study of EMDR versus a traditional stress management program. International Journal of Stress Management, 8(3), 179-200. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1011366408693(opens in new tab)