Review: eye movement desensitization and reprocessing is not better than exposure therapies for anxiety or trauma.

Main results 34 studies were included (33 randomised controlled trials). Studies were categorised according to type of outcome measure or comparison. Outcome categories were psychometric measures of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), other psychometric measures, physiological measures, behavioural measures (including behavioural avoidance), and other measures. Comparison categories were no treatment, in vivo exposure or cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), exposure—not in vivo, eyes fixed desensitisation reprocessing movements, other dismantling designs (EMDR procedures were used except that 1 aspect [not eye movements] was changed), and non-specific treatments. An effect existed for comparison type (p < 0.01) but not for outcome measure; the outcome measures were collapsed by taking the median effect size for each study. EMDR was more effective than no treatment (13 studies) and non-specific treatment (5 studies) (table). EMDR was not more effective than exposure (not in vivo) (3 studies), in vivo exposure or CBT (3 studies), EMDR without eye movements (9 studies), or other dismantling designs (4 studies) (table). Results were similar when studies using therapists not trained by the EMDR Institute were excluded or when studies were grouped by treatment population (PTSD, traumatic memories, other anxiety disorders, or normal).