Immediate treatment following the November 13 attacks: Use of an EMDR emergency protocol
Abstract
Objective : The objective of this article is to report on an emergency posttraumatic treatment following the November 13, 2015 attacks in Paris.
Method : Thirty-six children and 20 adults were treated with EMDR therapy or debriefing within 48 hours after the attacks. Quantitative assessments were performed pre- and post-treatment and at a 3-month follow-up.
Results : The EMDR treatment administered to the children and the debriefing used with the adults both showed their efficacy through the reduction on all quantitative measures.
Discussion : Our results indicate that the EMDR approach and emergency treatment strategies may be promising treatment strategies that are non-invasive and preventive. Although these results should be completed by studies on larger samples with a control group, they remain promising in that they suggest that an emergency psychological treatment based on EMDR procedures may prove effective in preventing the installation of a post-attack posttraumatic stress disorder.