Comparative of Efficacy of CBT and EMDR in Treating PTSD in Covid-19

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder in individuals exposed to psychologically terrifying events. This study compared the effectiveness of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) in treating PTSD in patients who recovered from Covid-19 in Tabriz (Iran). The present study was quasi-experimental based on a pretest-posttest design with a control group. The statistical population included all female patients recovered from Covid-19 aged 25 to 60 years in Tabriz in 2021. Thirty-six patients sampled using the purposeful sampling method and diagnosed with PTSD were randomly assigned to two experimental groups and one control group. Participants in EMDR sessions were treated individually in six 45 min sessions. Similarly, those who took part in the CBT sessions were treated in groups in 45 min sessions. All participants were evaluated in two pre-test and post-test stages by a post-traumatic stress disorder checklist.

Data were analyzed in SPSS software (version 22) using the analysis of covariance. Post-test PTSDA scores were significantly reduced in both experimental groups (P <0.05). Additionally, a reduction in PTSD scores in the EMDR group was substantially more significant than in the CBT group. Both EMDR and CBT psychotherapies relieved the symptoms in PTSD patients. However, according to the post-test results, EMDR intervention was more effective than CBT psychotherapy in reducing PTSD symptoms.