Re:More conclusions from the new EMDR meta-analysis

I do have a problem when data is selectively ignored or misrepresented. Focusing on just one point:

The Devilly & Spence study's high EMDR dropout rate occurred, as I recall, prior to onset of EMDR treatment. This atypically high dropout rate for EMDR probably reflects what participants were told about it rather than their experience of it.

On the other hand, Prolonged Exposure had a higher dropout rate than EMDR in the Ironson et al study even though the therapists had been trained by Foa and had been doing PE for longer than EMDR.

Ironson, G. I., Freund, B., Strauss, J. L., & Williams, J. (in press). A comparison of two treatments for traumatic stress: A pilot study of EMDR and prolonged exposure. Journal of Clinical Psychology.

Also, Lipke's study of therapists who had been trained in both exposure and EMDR indicated that therapists generally felt that EMDR was more acceptable to their clients than exposure. And a study by Hyer and others (sorry, don't remember the citation) indicated a similar finding.

There are also direct comparison studies that show similar retention rates for Exposure and EMDR, e.g.:

Lee, C., Gavriel, H., Drummond, P., Richards, J., & Greenwald, R. (in press). Treatment of PTSD: Stress Inoculation Training with Prolonged Exposure compared to EMDR. Journal of Clinical Psychology.

McFarlane, A. (2000, November). Comparison of EMDR and CBT for PTSD. In B. van der Kolk (chair), Current research on EMDR. Symposium presented at the annual meeting of the International Society of Traumatic Stress Studies, San Antonio.

Many of the above studies (and others) also indicate that the treatment effects occurred more quickly, and with far less homework, with EMDR than with Exposure.

Thus, in additional to clinical experience, there is considerable data to make the claim that EMDR might be preferable on practical grounds.

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