Imagery Rescripting (ImRs) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) as treatment of childhood-trauma related post-traumatic stress disorder (Ch-PTSD) in adults: effects on Schema Modes

Feb 7, 2025European journal of psychotraumatology

How Imagery Rescripting and EMDR Affect Thinking and Feeling Patterns in Adults with Childhood Trauma PTSD

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Abstract

Participants (n = 114) with childhood trauma-related PTSD reported large reductions in maladaptive personality patterns following treatment.

Both Imagery Rescripting and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing led to significant improvements in personality pathology as measured by the Schema Mode Inventory.
Patients experienced large reductions in Maladaptive and enhancements in Adaptive Schema Modes, with effect sizes ranging from Cohen's d = .94 to 1.18.
Improvements were noted from pre-treatment to post-treatment, as well as at 8-week and 1-year follow-ups.
No significant differences were found between the two treatment methods regarding changes in Schema Modes over time.
No notable changes were observed during the waitlist period, indicating that improvements were likely due to the treatments.

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Many patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) due to childhood trauma (Ch-PTSD) also suffer from comorbid personality pathology. Little is known about the effectiveness of treatments for Ch-PTSD in reducing the comorbid personality pathology. are an operationalization of personality pathology according to schema therapy and can be measured with the Schema Mode Inventory (SMI). Therefore, we evaluated the effects of two treatments for adult patients with Ch-PTSD on Schema Modes.Participants ( = 114) of the Imagery Rescripting and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (IREM) Randomized Clinical Trial (Boterhoven de Haan, K. L., Lee, C. W., Fassbinder, E., Voncken, M. J., Meewisse, M., Van Es, S. M., Menninga, S., Kousemaker, M., & Arntz, A. (2017). Imagery rescripting and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing for treatment of adults with childhood trauma-related post-traumatic stress disorder: IREM study design.,(1), 1-12, Boterhoven de Haan, K. L., Lee, C. W., Fassbinder, E., van Es, S. M., Menninga, S., Meewisse, M.-L., Rijkeboer, M., Kousemaker, M., & Arntz, A. (2020). Imagery rescripting and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing as treatment for adults with post-traumatic stress disorder from childhood trauma: Randomised clinical trial.,(5), 609-615) with Ch-PTSD who filled in the SMI next to other outcomes, were randomly allocated to a 12-session treatment of Imagery Rescripting (ImRs) or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). The SMI was collected at waitlist, pre-treatment, mid-treatment, posttreatment, and 8-week and 1-year follow-up.For both treatments, patients reported large reductions in the Maladaptive Schema Modes and improvements in the Adaptive Schema Modes (Cohen's = .94-1.18) from pre-treatment to posttreatment, 8-week follow-up, and 1-year follow-up. No statistically significant differences were found between ImRs and EMDR regarding changes in Schema Modes over time. No significant changes were observed during the waitlist period.ImRs and EMDR showed improvements in Schema Modes when primarily targeting Ch-PTSD. The results indicate the possible value of both treatments in reducing comorbid personality pathology. Background: Method: Results: Conclusions: n BMC Psychiatry17The British Journal of Psychiatry217d

Key numbers

Cohen's d = 0.94-1.18

Reduction in Maladaptive

Effect sizes for changes from pre-treatment to posttreatment.

114

Participants Included

Total number of participants randomized in the trial.

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Imagery Rescripting (ImRs) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) as treatment of childhood-trauma related post-traumatic stress disorder (Ch-PTSD) in adults: effects on Schema Modes

Abstract

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