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. 2013 Dec 13;2013(12):CD003388. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD003388.pub4

Summary of findings 5. EMDR compared with Trauma‐focused CBT for chronic post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in adults.

EMDR compared with Trauma‐focused CBT for chronic post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in adults
Patient or population: Adults with PTSD for at least 3 months
 Settings: Primary care, community, outpatient
 Intervention: Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR)
 Comparison: Trauma‐focused CBT
Outcomes Illustrative comparative risks* (95% CI) Relative effect
 (95% CI) No of Participants
 (studies) Quality of the evidence
 (GRADE) Comments
Assumed risk Corresponding risk
Trauma Focused CBT EMDR
Severity of PTSD symptoms ‐ Clinician‐rated   The mean severity of PTSD symptoms ‐ clinician in the intervention groups was 0.03 standard deviations lower 
 (0.43 lower to 0.38 higher) 327
 (7 studies) ⊕⊝⊝⊝
 very low1,2,3  
Leaving study early for any reason Study population RR 1.00 
 (0.74 to 1.35) 400
 (8 studies) ⊕⊝⊝⊝
 very low1,2,3  
279 per 1000 268 per 1000 
 (191 to 367)
Moderate
257 per 1000 247 per 1000 
 (174 to 342)
*The basis for the assumed risk (e.g. the median control group risk across studies) is provided in footnotes. The corresponding risk (and its 95% confidence interval) is based on the assumed risk in the comparison group and the relative effect of the intervention (and its 95% CI).
 CI: Confidence interval; RR: risk ratio;
GRADE Working Group grades of evidence
 High quality: Further research is very unlikely to change our confidence in the estimate of effect.
 Moderate quality: Further research is likely to have an important impact on our confidence in the estimate of effect and may change the estimate.
 Low quality: Further research is very likely to have an important impact on our confidence in the estimate of effect and is likely to change the estimate.
 Very low quality: We are very uncertain about the estimate.

1Some studies were judged as posing a high risk of bias
 2Unexplained heterogeneity
 3Small sample sizes