Triadic Therapy Based on Somatic Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing for Complex Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Study

Abstract

The triadic therapy based on somatic eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) for complex posttraumatic stress disorder (TSP) is a combination therapy, which comprises simplified EMDR, a triplet of micro-dose medicines, and a pair of Chinese medicines. The EMDR procedure is a tactile bilateral stimulation on the body surface with minimum verbal intervention within 15 minutes every two weeks in a period of 2–3 months. In this study, 22 adult patients were treated with TSP. The Impact of Event Scale—Revised, Beck Depression Inventory (second edition), and Global Assessment of Functioning scores of the patients were significantly improved. Moreover, TSP is a safe treatment procedure in terms of titration, cost-effectiveness, and time-effectiveness. It could also treat multiple difficulties in patients with cPTSD from medical problems to socioeconomic problems.