The effectiveness of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) in reducing pathological worry in patients with generalized anxiety disorder: A preliminary study

Abstract

Aims. The current study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) in reducing pathological worry in patients with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Method. Three women with GAD were selected using a purposeful sampling method based on the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I disorders (SCID-I). A baseline single-case experimental design was used and participants were included in the treatment in a stepped manner. The Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire (GADQ-IV), the Pennsylvania State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ), the Worry Domain Questionnaire (WDQ), the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale (IUS) and the Cognitive Avoidance Questionnaire (CAQ) were used as the baseline, pre-treatment, post-treatment and one-month follow-up assessments. Results. The results showed that EMDR is effective in reducing pathological worry in patients with GAD. The participants were also successful in reducing the extent of their areas of worry, increasing their tolerance to uncertainty and conquering their cognitive avoidance. One-month follow-up also showed that the decline trend of participants' worries continued. During EMDR, participants' negative images, emotions and cognition were decreased and gradually lost their reliability, whereas positive aspects became alive and active. Conclusions. EMDR is an effective method for the treatment of GAD in women.