EMDR Versus Imagery Rescripting for Trauma-Related Intrusions
- Conditions
- Stress Disorders, Post-TraumaticDepression
- Interventions
- Behavioral: Eye Movement Desensitization and ReprocessingBehavioral: Imagery Rescripting
- Registration Number
- NCT06215313
- Lead Sponsor
- Geestelijke Gezondheidszorg Eindhoven (GGzE)
- Brief Summary
The goal of this clinical trial is to investigate the effectiveness and mechanisms of action of trauma treatments in a sample of patients meeting criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), unipolar depression, or both disorders. The main questions it aims to answer are:
* which first line treatment (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing \[EMDR\] vs. Imaginary Rescripting \[IR\]) works better for intrusive experiences in patients with PTSD, patients with a depression, and patients who meet criteria for both diagnoses.
* which mechanisms of action cause the treatment effects.
Participants will
* be randomly assigned to a standard treatment of EMDR or IR
* complete daily questionnaires measuring the outcome measures two weeks before the start of their treatment, during their EMDR or IR treatment, and for one month after their treatment.
* complete questionnaires measuring the outcome measures and secondary outcome measures at pre-intervention, post-treatment (i.e., 4 weeks after the last intervention session, at the end of the withdrawal phase), and at 6-month follow-up.
- Detailed Description
Rationale: Patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) experience highly frequent and distressing intrusive images depicting earlier aversive experiences. Not only patients with PTSD experience these intrusions; they are also very common in depression. Therefore, trauma treatments that target these intrusions may also benefit patients with depression. Additionally, comorbid depression in patients with PTSD reduces the effects of trauma treatment. It is currently unknown which treatment for traumatic intrusions is most effective for patients who meet criteria for PTSD, depression, or both, and treatment selection is often a process of trial and error. The mechanisms of action of trauma treatments may inform us how to select the most appropriate treatment for a particular individual.
Objective:
The investigators' primary objective is to investigate which treatment (EMDR vs. IR) is most effective for different groups of patients who experience intrusions: patients with PTSD, patients with depression, or patients with PTSD and a comorbid depression. To this end, the investigators will examine the reduction in the severity of intrusions (i.e., frequency, uncontrollability, and degree of interference with daily life). The investigators' secondary objective is to gain more insight into the mechanisms of action of EMDR and IR. To this end, the investigators will examine the role of various mediators of the treatment effects (i.e., the reduction in the severity of intrusions). The investigators will specifically investigate the potential mediating roles of self-compassion, emotion regulation, positive affect, rumination, and the vividness, distress, and associated meaning of intrusions.
Study design: This study will use a single-case experimental design (SCED). In this design, a small group of patients is followed throughout their treatment. It is a within-subjects design in which each patient undergoes a baseline phase (2 weeks prior to the start of treatment) in which no intervention takes place, an experimental phase with treatment interventions (at least 2.5 weeks), and finally a withdrawal phase (4 weeks following the last intervention session) in which no further treatment takes place.
Study population: This study will recruit 42 patients meeting criteria for either PTSD or depression, or for both disorders.
Intervention (if applicable): Patients will be randomly assigned to standard treatments EMDR or IR. In each condition, patients will receive two 75-minute sessions of EMDR or IR each week, as well as an additional coaching session each week. Treatment length depends on patients' needs and varies between 2.5 and 6 weeks.
Main study parameters/endpoints: The primary outcome is a brief measure of characteristics of intrusions (specifically, the frequency, uncontrollability, and degree of interference with daily life), which will be assessed twice daily via an online mobile app.
Additionally, process measures indexing possible mediators concern brief questionnaires on emotion regulation, self-compassion, rumination, positive affect, and the vividness, distress, and related meaning of intrusions, which also serve as the investigators' primary outcome measures. These questionnaires will be assessed daily. All primary outcome measures will be administered during the baseline, experimental, and withdrawal phase. Secondary outcome measures concern questionnaires on quality of life, depression symptoms, and PTSD symptoms which are endorsed at the pre-intervention assessment (i.e., 2 weeks prior to the first intervention session), post-treatment assessment (i.e., 4 weeks after the last intervention session, at the end of the withdrawal phase), and at 6-month follow-up assessment.
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- ENROLLING_BY_INVITATION
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 42
- age between 18 and 70 years
- experiencing intrusions and/or nightmares
- meet criteria for unipolar depressive disorder, PTSD, or both disorders
- past aversive events still cause considerable distress
- be available for trauma treatment twice a week, with an additional coaching session each week
- be proficient in the Dutch language.
- the presence of a dissociative identity disorder
- acute suicide risk
- acute psychosis
- substance use disorder
- bipolar disorder type 1 and 2. Other comorbid disorders are allowed.
Study & Design
- Study Type
- INTERVENTIONAL
- Study Design
- PARALLEL
- Arm && Interventions
Group Intervention Description Patients with depression Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Patients with depression will be randomly assigned to either EMDR or IR. They will receive two 75-minute sessions of either EMDR or IR each week, with one additional coaching session in both conditions (EMDR and IR). Patients with depression Imagery Rescripting Patients with depression will be randomly assigned to either EMDR or IR. They will receive two 75-minute sessions of either EMDR or IR each week, with one additional coaching session in both conditions (EMDR and IR). Patients with PTSD and depression Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Patients with PTSD and depression will be randomly assigned to either EMDR or IR. They will receive two 75-minute sessions of either EMDR or IR each week, with one additional coaching session in both conditions (EMDR and IR). Patients with PTSD Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Patients with PTSD will be randomly assigned to either EMDR or IR. They will receive two 75-minute sessions of either EMDR or IR each week, with one additional coaching session in both conditions (EMDR and IR). Patients with PTSD Imagery Rescripting Patients with PTSD will be randomly assigned to either EMDR or IR. They will receive two 75-minute sessions of either EMDR or IR each week, with one additional coaching session in both conditions (EMDR and IR). Patients with PTSD and depression Imagery Rescripting Patients with PTSD and depression will be randomly assigned to either EMDR or IR. They will receive two 75-minute sessions of either EMDR or IR each week, with one additional coaching session in both conditions (EMDR and IR).
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Severity of intrusions Severity of intrusions is assessed 2x daily from 2 weeks before treatment up to 1 month after treatment. The severity of intrusions is also assessed 2 weeks prior to the first treatment session, and 1 and 6 months after the last treatment session. The severity of intrusions will be computed as a composite score of the frequency, uncontrollability, and degree of interference with daily life. A questionnaire inquiring about the frequency, uncontrollability, and degree of interference with daily life of intrusions over the previous 4 hours will be administered twice daily via an online questionnaire. A time frame of 2 hours is set within which patients are asked to complete the questionnaire to increase reliability. The items are "How many intrusions did you experience over the previous 4 hours?", "To what extent do these intrusions interfere with your daily life?", and "To what extent do you perceive these intrusions as uncontrollable?". The frequency of intrusions is presented as an open-ended question, while uncontrollability and interference with daily life are measured on a 10-point Likert scale.
Anxiety and depression Anxiety and depression are assessed 2x daily from 2 weeks before treatment up to 1 month after treatment. Anxiety and depression are also assessed 2 weeks prior to the first treatment session, and 1 and 6 months after the last treatment session. Anxiety and depression will be assessed twice daily using two items (specifically, "How anxious did you feel over the last couple of hours?" and "How depressed did you feel over the last couple of hours?"), using a 10-point VAS scale with as anchor labels 0: "not at all", and 10: "very extreme".
Emotion regulation The DERS-18 Strategies subscale (3 items) is assessed daily from 2 weeks before treatment up to 1 month after treatment. The entire DERS-SF is administered 2 weeks prior to the first treatment session, and 1 and 6 months after the last treatment session. Emotion regulation is measured by the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS). A short version has been developed (DERS-SF) and is available in Dutch. Possible scores vary from 18 to 90, with higher scores reflecting greater difficulty with emotion regulation.
Self-compassion Self-compassion subscale (6 items) is administered daily from 2 weeks before treatment up to 1 month after treatment. The entire SCS-SF is administered 2 weeks prior to the first treatment session, and 1 and 6 months after the last treatment session. Self-compassion is measured using a shortened version of the Self-Compassion Scale (i.e., SCS-SF). Possible scores range from 12-60, with higher scores reflecting higher self-compassion, and lower scores reflecting lower self-compassion.
Rumination Brooding and reflection subscales (5 items) are assessed daily from 2 weeks before treatment up to 1 month after treatment. The entire RRS is administered 2 weeks prior to the first treatment session, and 1 and 6 months after the last treatment session. The Ruminative Response Scale (RRS) measures the degree of depressive rumination, or repetitive thinking in response to a low mood. Total scores on the RRS-NL range from 22 to 88, with higher scores reflecting a greater tendency towards ruminative thinking.
Positive affect Positive affect items (10 items) are assessed daily from 2 weeks before treatment up to 1 month after treatment. The entire PANAS will be assessed 2 weeks prior to the first treatment session, and 1 and 6 months after the last treatment session. Positive affect is measured using the Positive Affect scale (10 items) of the Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS). High positive affect refers to the extent to which the person feels positively involved in the environment and experiences positive emotions such as enthusiasm, whereas low positive affect refers to the absence of positive feelings. Total scores for the Positive Affect scale range from 10 to 50, with higher scores reflecting greater positive affect.
Vividness of intrusions Vividness of intrusions is assessed daily from 2 weeks before treatment up to 1 month after treatment. The vividness of intrusions is also assessed 2 weeks prior to the first treatment session, and 1 and 6 months after the last treatment session. The investigators will measure the degree of 'vividness' of intrusions to measure the impact of the interventions. The vividness of intrusions will be measured using an online questionnaire, with the specific item "How vivid are your intrusions right now, on a scale from 0 to 100?", with higher scores reflecting higher vividness.
Distress of intrusions Distress of intrusions is assessed daily from 2 weeks before treatment up to 1 month after treatment. Additionally, the distress of intrusions is assessed 2 weeks prior to the first treatment session, and 1 and 6 months after the last treatment session. The investigators will measure the level of 'distress' of intrusions to measure the impact of the interventions. The distress of intrusions will be measured using an online questionnaire, with the specific item "How distressing are your intrusions right now, on a scale from 0 to 100?", with higher scores reflecting higher distress.
Intrusion-related beliefs Intrusion-related beliefs are assessed 2 weeks prior to the first treatment session, and 1 and 6 months after the last treatment session. The investigators will assess the content and believability of 'intrusion-related beliefs about oneself', in order to measure the change in the meanings associated with the intrusions. This outcome measure will be assessed using an online questionnaire, with the specific items "What do your intrusions say about you?" (open ended question), and "How believable is this belief right now, on a scale from 0 to 100?", with higher scores reflecting stronger intrusion-related beliefs about oneself.
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method The Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5 The PCL-5 will be administered 2 weeks prior to the first treatment session, and 1 and 6 months after the last treatment session. The Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) is a 20-item self-report questionnaire that measures the severity of PTSD symptoms in the past month. The PCL-5 contains four subscales: Intrusions (items 1-5), Avoidance (items 6-7), Negative Change in Cognitions and Mood (NACM; items 8-14), and Change in Arousal and Reactivity (AR; items 15-20).
The Beck Depression Inventory II The BDI-II will be administered 2 weeks prior to the first treatment session, and 1 and 6 months after the last treatment session. The Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II) is a 21-item self-report questionnaire that measures the severity of depressive symptoms over the past 2 weeks. Possible scores range from 21 to 63, with higher scores reflecting more severe depressive symptoms.
Mental Health Quality of Life 7D The MHQoL will be administered 2 weeks prior to the first treatment session, and 1 and 6 months after the last treatment session. The Dutch version of the Mental Health Quality of Life 7D (MHQoL) measures quality of life in people with mental health problems. The instrument consists of 7 self-report items in the domains of self-image, independence, mood, relationships, daily activities, physical health, and future. Possible scores range from 0 to 21, with higher scores reflecting a higher quality of life.
The Credibility/Expectancy Questionnaire The CEQ is assessed twice weekly from 2 weeks before treatment up to 1 month after treatment. The CEQ is also assessed 2 weeks prior to the first treatment session, and 1 and 6 months after the last treatment session. The Credibility/Expectancy Questionnaire (CEQ) is a questionnaire that consists of six questions: four questions considering the treatment credibility, and two questions considering treatment expectancy.
Trial Locations
- Locations (1)
Geestelijke Gezondheidszorg Eindhoven
🇳🇱Eindhoven, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands