Post-Traumatic Growth Following Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy Versus SSRIs in Patients With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Post-Traumatic Growth Following Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy Versus SSRIs in Patients With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial

This randomized controlled trial investigates the comparative effectiveness of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in fostering post-traumatic growth among patients diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Participants will be randomized to receive either EMDR therapy or standard SSRI pharmacotherapy. The primary objective is to evaluate the extent of psychological growth and recovery achieved through each intervention, aiming to guide future therapeutic strategies for PTSD.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: PTSD - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: EMDR; Drug: SSRIs

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 130
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Pakistan
  • KPK
    • Nowshera, KPK, Pakistan, 25770
      • Combined Military Hospital
    • 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:

Clinical diagnosis of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) based on DSM-5 criteria

Willingness to participate and provide informed consent

Ability to comply with study procedures

Exclusion Criteria:

Current diagnosis of psychotic disorder, bipolar disorder, or severe major depressive episode with psychotic features

Active substance use disorder within the past 6 months

Severe cognitive impairment or inability to complete study assessments

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; EMDR therapy	Behavioral: EMDR; Participants will receive structured EMDR therapy sessions conducted by trained therapists following standard EMDR protocols. Sessions will occur weekly over a 6 week period.
Active Comparator: SSRIs; Acting as control group	Drug: SSRIs; Participants will receive pharmacotherapy with an SSRI prescribed according to standard clinical guidelines for PTSD, monitored by a psychiatrist over a 6-week period.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Post-Traumatic Growth (PTG) measured by Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI)	Change in PTGI total score from baseline to 6 weeks.	6 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
PTSD symptom severity measured by PTSD Checklist	Change in PTSD Checklist total score from baseline to 6 weeks.	6 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Asad Ullah Jan
• Collaborators: 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 26, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 26, 2025
• First Posted (Actual): May 4, 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; Post-traumatic Stress Disorder; EMDR; Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing; Post-traumatic Growth
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Trauma and Stressor Related Disorders; Mental Disorders; Stress Disorders, Traumatic; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic; Combat Disorders; 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; Behavior Therapy; Psychotherapy; Behavioral Disciplines and Activities; Desensitization, Psychologic; Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors; Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing
• Other Study ID Numbers: CMHNSR-REF-15

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO
• IPD Plan Description: Privacy concerns and confidentiality protections for participants limit the feasibility of public data sharing.

Drug and device information, study documents

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