EMDR Interventions in Refugees and Asylum Seekers: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Both refugees and asylum seekers exhibit poorer mental health and higher rates of mental disorders, particularly posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), for which EMDR therapy has been shown to be effective. This review analyses the efficacy of EMDR in reducing PTDS in refugees or asylum seekers using randomized controlled studies (RCTs). A systematic review and meta-analysis published in PROSPERO (CRD42024595506) using the databases PubMed, PsycINFO and Web of Science were conducted. The authors independently reviewed the articles to maintain double blind. A total of 10 articles met the criteria for inclusion. The analysis of these studies revealed that a nonsignificant effect of EMDR on PTSD symptoms was observed at the end of the intervention period and the effect sizes reflect interaction effects between treatment/control over time on outcome, and these represent changes over time. It should be interpreted with awareness of the potential limitations introduced by excluding other study designs due to heterogeneity.