Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) in Alcohol Dependent Patients

IrisZorg

Status: Completed

Conditions: Alcohol Dependence

Treatments: Behavioral: Community Reinforcement Approach; Behavioral: EMDR

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT01828866

IZ / NISPA / BSI / WM04

Details and patient eligibility

About

One interesting approach to the treatment of addiction is the use of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) (Shapiro, 1989). Although research on the feasibility and efficacy of EMDR on addiction is limited and often lacks methodological rigor, the results are promising and suggest that further research on this subject is warranted.

This proposal consists of two studies to test and determine the acceptability, feasibility and efficacy of EMDR as an intervention to reduce craving and alcohol use in alcohol dependent outpatients as well as to gain further understanding in underlying working mechanisms.

Enrollment: 109 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• A primary diagnosis of alcohol dependence or abuse (meeting the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)-IV-TR criteria (American Psychiatric Association, 2000);
• Age of at least 18 years or older;
• Can speak and read Dutch language;
• Consent (written) to postponed information given.

Exclusion criteria

• Meeting the DSM-IV-TR (American Psychiatric Association, 2000) criteria for current (in the past 2 weeks) addiction and regular use (at least once per week in the last two weeks before baseline screening) of drugs other than alcohol or nicotine (relative exclusion: decision on case-by-case basis whether it leads to therapy-interference);
• Meeting the DSM-IV (American Psychiatric Association, 2000) criteria for current (in the last two weeks before baseline screening) regular alcohol use (at least > 21E (women) or > 28E (men) per week) (relative exclusion: decision on case-by-case basis) (relative exclusion: decision on case-by-case basis whether it leads to therapy-interference);
• Meeting the DSM-IV (American Psychiatric Association, 2000) criteria for current post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD);
• Severe, current (since the start of regular treatment) psychiatric symptoms (especially manic, psychotic, suicidal and aggressive symptoms) that may endanger participants or others and jeopardize study adherence.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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109 participants in 2 patient groups

Community Reinforcement Approach

Active Comparator group

Description:

Treatment as usual, provided in out-patient setting

Treatment:

Behavioral: Community Reinforcement Approach

Community Reinforcement Approach + EMDR

Experimental group

Description:

Treatment as usual + additional sessions of EMDR

Treatment:

Behavioral: EMDR

Behavioral: Community Reinforcement Approach