The case for investigating EMDR as a pre-deployment intervention for military personnel

This paper suggests that EMDR is a viable resource for use in pre-deployment services to reduce negative outcomes associated with the presence of PTSD in military personnel.

Article Abstract

“Historically military personnel have primarily only been provided post deployment mental health services. Chief among mental health diagnoses is PTSD which is the stepping stone to a variety of other negative lifetime outcomes. As a result of these facts, the Department of Defense (DOD) has made the prevention and treatment of PTSD a top priority. To date the efforts of the DOD have yielded few efficacious outcomes. Providing upwards of 15 various treatment modalities pre and post deployment have been described as “underwhelming” in their ability to reduce the various negative mental health symptoms and severe outcomes a veteran will experience. However, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) has not been evaluated as a possible predeployment intervention. EMDR is a process by which an individual processes traumatic events that are lodged in the memory and emotional portions of the brain. EMDR has been shown to be effective in reducing symptomatology associated with PTSD. Childhood adverse experiences are a noted key factor to these diagnoses and growing in general population rates. Therefore, it should be expected that many persons joining the armed forces come with a preexisting mental health condition. EMDR has been shown to have a positive therapeutic effect on various sensitization factors and can reduce one’s negative symptomatology when experiencing future traumatizing events. This has laid the groundwork to suggest that EMDR is able to provide prophylactic support to military personnel as they enter service and face deployment scenarios. This paper suggests to researchers that EMDR is a viable resource for use in pre-deployment services in order to reduce the ever-increasing number negative outcomes associated with the presence of PTSD in our military personnel.”

—Description from publisher

Article Access

Open Access

Roth, S. P. (2024). The case for investigating EMDR as a pre-deployment intervention for military personnel. The Military Psychologist, 39(2), 7-10. Open access retrieval: https://www.militarypsych.org/the-military-psychologist/