Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Integrative Group Treatment Protocol for the Reduction of Perceived Stress in Parents with Disabled Children: A Therapeutic Approach

Severe disabilities in children can cause high levels of stress within families, and scientific literature reports a few studies about using Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) group therapies for reducing parents’/caregivers’ stress. This research, based on a pre–post study design, aims to verify (a) if the EMDR Integrative Group Treatment Protocol is an effective therapy in reducing perceived stress and (b) if EMDR Integrative Group Treatment Protocol is effective in reducing some psychopathologic caregivers’ symptoms. The participants consisted of 15 parents with severely disabled children who underwent therapy sessions of 100 to 120 min each administered by 2 trained EMDR therapists with a specific training in this protocol. At baseline, the Perceived Stress Scale and the Symptoms Checklist-90 were administered, with respect for anonymity, by the same 2 trained therapists who conducted the sessions. At the end of these sessions, a week later, the same scales were administered along with a parent’s statement questionnaire. These scales and the questionnaire were administered again after 3-month posttreatment. The results demonstrated an important improvement of the caregivers’ stress (Perceived Stress Scale raw score from 33.33 to 22.86 after a week [ t value 9.92 × 10 −9 , P < 0.05], and the score decreased also after 3 months posttreatment [ t value 3.06 × 10 −4 , P < 0.05]), and a substantial decrease of the parents’ worries (statements reported from parents as “reduction of future worries”, “more information to copy with”, and “feeling less alone”) emerged from the anonymous questionnaires administered a week and 3 months posttreatment.