Efficacy of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy Versus Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) in the Treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Efficacy of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy Versus Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) in the Treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial

This randomized controlled trial aims to compare the efficacy of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy versus Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) in the treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Adult patients diagnosed with PTSD will be randomly assigned to receive either EMDR therapy or SSRIs for a period of six weeks. The primary outcome is the rate of remission as measured by validated PTSD symptom severity scales at Week 6. Secondary outcomes include changes in functional impairment and patient-reported quality of life. The study seeks to determine whether EMDR therapy is a non-pharmacological alternative to SSRIs for achieving symptom remission in PTSD.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: PTSD; PTSD - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy; Drug: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 60
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Pakistan
  • KPK
    • Nowshera, KPK, Pakistan, 25770
      • Combined Military Hospital
  • Kpk
    • Nowshera, Kpk, Pakistan, 25770
      • Department of Psychiatry, Combined Military Hospital Nowshera

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

Age 18-60 years

Clinical diagnosis of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Duration of illness ≥ 6 months

Able to provide informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

Current substance abuse or dependence

History of psychotic disorder or bipolar disorder

Active suicidal ideation

Concurrent psychotherapy or psychiatric medication (except study-assigned SSRI)

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: EMDR Therapy; Participants will receive Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy over six weeks.	Behavioral: Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy; Patients in this arm will receive weekly EMDR sessions for 6 weeks; Other Names: EMDR Therapy
Active Comparator: Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)Treatment; Participants will receive selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as Sertraline over six weeks.	Drug: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors; The patients will receive an SSRI medication daily for 6 weeks. The dose will be titrated by the clinician.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Remission rate at Week 6	Each group's proportion of participants achieving remission from PTSD is defined as having a score below 22 on the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5; range 0-80, where higher scores indicate worse PTSD symptoms), a validated PTSD scale.	6 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in functional impairment score	Change from baseline to 6 weeks in functional impairment as measured by the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF; range 26-130, higher scores = better quality of life), a validated quality of life scale.	6 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Asad Ullah Jan
• Collaborators: CMH Nowshera
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Asad Ullah Jan, MBBS,FCPS, CMH Nowshera

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): May 6, 2025
• Primary Completion (Actual): November 30, 2025
• Study Completion (Actual): December 31, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: April 25, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 25, 2025
• First Posted (Actual): May 2, 2025

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 7, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 3, 2026
• Last Verified: May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: PTSD; Mental Health; Randomized controlled trial; Trauma; Post-traumatic stress disorder; EMDR; SSRIs; Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Trauma and Stressor Related Disorders; Mental Disorders; Stress Disorders, Traumatic; Behavior; Personal Satisfaction; Wounds and Injuries; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic; Combat Disorders; Psychological Well-Being; Physiological Effects of Drugs; Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action; Neurotransmitter Agents; Membrane Transport Modulators; Neurotransmitter Uptake Inhibitors; Serotonin Agents; Pharmacologic Actions; Chemical Actions and Uses; Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors
• Other Study ID Numbers: CMHNSR-REF-14

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO
• IPD Plan Description: No plans to share IPD at this time.

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No