EMDR review finds PTSD improvements, with mixed results for psychotic symptoms
A review of randomized trials examined eye movement desensitization and reprocessing in people with both psychosis and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
Across the included trials, EMDR generally improved PTSD symptoms compared with usual treatment or waiting-list conditions. Findings for psychosis were uneven: negative symptoms and paranoid thinking improved, while changes in delusions and auditory hallucinations were mostly not statistically significant. This pattern supports further study in people who have both psychosis and PTSD.
Only a few trials were included, and the abstract gives no participant total, effect sizes, or follow-up lengths. The authors call for larger trials with longer follow-up.
Which symptoms improved
The reviewers summarized the trial findings narratively. Improvements in PTSD appeared in ratings from both clinicians and patients, alongside reported reductions in negative psychotic symptoms and paranoid thinking. The abstract gives no pooled numerical effect.
What the safety reporting shows
No serious adverse events attributed to EMDR were reported in the included trials. This is reassuring within the available evidence, but it does not establish safety across all patients or over longer periods.
The original publication
Efficacy and Safety of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) in Patients with Psychosis: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials.
Ahmed OM, Khalaf G, Alsaadany KR et al.
Trends Psychiatry Psychother · 2025
- PubMed ID
- 40996780
- Record checked
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