Ergibt sich durch die EMDR-Methode ein positiver Effekt in der Depressionsbehandlung?

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a well-established treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder. Recent research suggested that it may be effective in treating depressive disorders, as well. The present study was part of the first multicenter project to test whether EMDR would achieve superior results in the treatment of depression compared to treatment as usual in a psychosomatic-psychotherapeutic inpatient treatment setting. In a total sample of 30 participants, an EMDR+TAU treatment group was compared to a treatment as usual (TAU) control group on the Beck Depression Inventory and the Global Severity Index and depression subscale of the Symptom Checklist 90-Revised. The EMDR+TAU group improved significantly better than the TAU group on the Beck Depression Inventory and Global Severity Index, while a marginally significant difference was found favoring the EMDR+TAU group over the TAU group on the depression subscale. In the EMDR+TAU group, 11 out of 14 patients improved below nine points on the BDI, which is considered to be a full remission, while nine out of 16 in the TAU group did so. The findings confirmed earlier suggestions that the EMDR method may provide additional benefit in the treatment of depression.