| Methods |
Randomised controlled trial |
| Participants |
140 adults with PTSD after a variety of different traumas (79 women, 61 men) |
| Interventions |
Brief ecclectic psychotherapy (n = 70) or EMDR (n = 70) |
| Outcomes |
IES‐R, SI‐PTSD, HADS depression, HADS anxiety |
| Notes |
Experienced therapists delivered therapy. It is unclear whether or not treatment adherence was assessed. |
| Risk of bias |
| Bias |
Authors' judgement |
Support for judgement |
| Random sequence generation (selection bias) |
Unclear risk |
Comment: The method of random sequence generation was not reported. |
| Allocation concealment (selection bias) |
Low risk |
A method of central allocation was employed, whereby a psychologist unassociated with the rest of the study used a computer programme. |
| Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias)
All outcomes |
Low risk |
Comment: ITT analyses were performed. Reasons for treatment drop‐out are fully reported, and unlikely to have caused bias. Missing data were imputed using appropriate methods. 28 individuals dropped out of EMDR and 22 from BEP. |
| Selective reporting (reporting bias) |
Low risk |
Comment: All specified outcomes were reported. |
| Other bias |
Low risk |
Comment: The issue of researcher allegiance cannot be ruled out. Treatment adherence was not monitored. |
| Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias)
All outcomes |
High risk |
Comment: Participants were aware of their allocation. |
| Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias)
All outcomes |
Low risk |
Quote: "To ensure masking of assessors, one psychologist who had no other engagement in the study, had access to the computer program, kept a log file of all random assignments and assigned the patients to the therapists." |
