Veterans: Preliminary Data

AbstractÐThis report summarizes data gathered thus far from an ongoing study. Two groups (total N 5 12) of Vietnam War veterans diagnosed with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) received a single session of exposure or Eye Movement Desensitiza-tion and Reprocessing (EMDR) focusing on the veterans ' most distressing war experi-ence. Group assignment was random, treatment providers were blind to assessment data, and the pre- and posttreatment assessor was blind to treatment assignment. Both groups showed improvement on the Impact of Event Scale. EMDR treatment resulted in greater positive changes in within-session Subjective Units of Discomfort levels and on self-monitored severity of intrusive recollection. A trend toward decreased heart rate reactivity was observed in both groups. Results must be considered carefully due to the small number of subjects used in the study. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. In the past 10 years, there has been an increasing interest in the evaluation of treatments for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), with controlled stud-ies of a wide variety of pharmacological and psychotherapeutic approaches. The two therapies receiving the most empirical support so far are Eye Move-ment Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR; Boudewyns & Hyer, 1996