Abstract
The possibilities of helping people are not limited to conservative approaches and outdated ideas about the provision of medical services. One of such techniques that is an innovative method to combat the postoperative consequences of surgical interventions in the eye area, depression, and some other mental disorders, is the eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR). This technique is one of the modern methods of treatment, and its introduction into many modern clinics is likely to reduce the number of people suffering from various mental ailments. As an analysis of the effectiveness of this method, one peer-reviewed article “Efficacy of Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing for Patients with Posttraumatic-Stress Disorder: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials” by Chen et al. (2014) is used. The main goal of the authors is to draw attention to the effectiveness of EMDR in the context of post-traumatic stresses and psychological trauma treatment as quite many people today face similar problems. The overview of this scientific paper and the assessment of the authors’ work will help to draw a conclusion about the effectiveness of the methods used and the possibility of implementing the EMDR technology to treat other disorders.
The Main Essence of EMDR
During the study of the EMDR therapy, it was found that eye movements could be replaced by any stimulus that is accompanied by an alternating rhythmic stimulation of the left and right brain hemispheres. Therefore, today, sound signals are widely used when implementing this type of therapy (on the left and right ear alternately). The main essence of such a process, which can amaze those who are not familiar with it, is that uncomplicated eye movements allow a person to quickly recover from the effects of stress and psychological trauma. According to Chen et al. (2014), the EMDR therapy has a serious psycho-physiological basis while many popular psychotherapeutic methods nowadays do not have a firm scientific ground.
Ethical Implications of the EMDR Therapy
Based on the ethical principles of treatment with the EMDR therapy, this type of care for patients does not contradict any moral norms, and this fact is indicated in the study under consideration. Despite the fact that the study by Chen et al. (2014) focuses more on the digital imaging of data, the authors also mention that the EMDR therapy does not violate the moral and ethical code of health and, on the contrary, is connected with patients recovery after physical or psychological trauma as soon as possible. Those procedures that are prescribed by the doctors are aimed at reducing pain, returning lost reflexes, mental rehabilitation, and other purposes. The use of such a therapy in medical practice emphasizes the fact that the healthcare industry is developing, and doctors take care of patients when using this innovative method of treatment.
The Scope of the EMDR Therapy Application
The presence of clinically proven detailed protocols is another remarkable feature of the EMDR therapy. The term “protocol” is a standard treatment plan for a particular disease. Having met with a specific problem, a therapist does not need to find new ways to care; it is enough to take advantage of hundreds of colleagues’ experience in a similar situation. Thus, Chen et al. (2014) mention such a protocol in their study, and it is called TTP – trauma treatment protocol, a parameter that is one of the indicators of a particular patient’s status.
Dissociative and obsessive-compulsive disorders are also included in the list of problems related to the EMDR therapy. Chen et al. (2014) remark that the greatest difficulty in assessing information during their research was the collection of data, as well as the accuracy of therapeutic effect. A certain amount of data should be collected to compile a complete picture. Otherwise, it will not be possible to conduct the research competently and draw the necessary conclusions regarding the possibilities of implementing the EMDR therapy.
Methodology and Sampling Procedures
The paper under consideration has a rather serious approach to the problem. Chen et al. (2014) conducted a meta-analysis and used previously recorded results as a basis for evaluation. The data were collected both directly from patients and written documented sources. Based on the findings presented in the article, the type of therapy being investigated can be used to treat various types of mental disorders and postoperative problems in patients of different sexes and ages.
Perhaps, if the authors had added more information about alternative methods of treatment to their articles, their paper would surely have had even greater value. The EMDR treatment method may not be available to everyone, and if people were aware of the potentially available ways of dealing with disorders through other effective methods, the value of the study would certainly be even higher. The article itself can be used as a basis for further study of the nuances associated with the EMDR therapy and additional possibilities of such a mechanism of recovery from trauma.
Conclusion
Thus, the review of the article helped to draw rather accurate conclusions about the effectiveness of EMDR therapy and its application in modern medicine. The authors’ paper is distinguished by a comprehensive approach to research and compliance with all the requirements for processing and data collection. The introduction of the described technology into medical centers can significantly facilitate the life of those who suffer from the consequences of operations or mental disorders.
Reference
Chen, Y. R., Hung, K. W., Tsai, J. C., Chu, H., Chung, M. H., Chen, S. R.,… Chou, K. R. (2014). Efficacy of eye-movement desensitization and reprocessing for patients with posttraumatic-stress disorder: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. PLoS One, 9(8), 1-17.