The Effectiveness of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) in Improving Generalized Anxiety Disorder in Students

Abstract

Background and Purpose: The Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a relatively emerging psychotherapy technique during which the patient focuses on the lateral movements of the clinician's fingers while keeping an image of the traumatic experience in the mind. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) in improving generalized anxiety disorder in students. Methods: The present quasi-experimental study had a pretest-posttest design with a control group. The statistical population consisted of all students studying in the second-grade secondary school of Tehran in 2019. Using the multi-stage cluster random sampling method, a sample of 24 individuals was selected and they were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The demographic variables questionnaire and general anxiety disorder-short form were used to collect data. The data were analyzed by SPSS-22, descriptive statistics, and multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA). Results: The results indicated that there was a significant difference between experimental and control groups in reducing generalized anxiety disorder and its components (P<0.05). Conclusion: The Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) was effective in improving generalized anxiety disorder in students; hence, it was effective in improving such disorders.