EMDR and cognitive behavioral therapy in the treatment of panic disorder: A comparison

Abstract

A pilot comparison was made between two treatments for panic disorder, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).Treatment was provided in the private practice settings of 7 credentialed therapists, whose treatment fidelity was monitored throughout the study.Five outcome measures were administered at pretreatment, posttreatment, and 1-year follow- up.There was significant improvement for participants in both groups (N 5 19) after 12 sessions of treatment.No significant differences in outcome were seen between the 2 therapies, except for lower frequency of panic attacks reported by those in the EMDR group.The current study reanalyzed the data previously reported in Faretta (2012).Further research in this area is suggested.