A Replicated Single Case Evaluation of a Depression Focused EMDR Protocol (EMDR DeprEnd) for Reducing Depression, Anxiety, and Emotion Dysregulation

Introduction and Objective: Major depressive disorders are highly prevalent and frequently co-occur with anxiety and emotion dysregulation, highlighting the need for brief interventions that target shared mechanisms. Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) has an expanding evidence base beyond posttraumatic stress disorder, including emerging support for depressive symptoms. This replicated single-case study examined a depression-focused EMDR protocol (EMDR-DeprEnd) in three university students in Tehran, Iran.Research Methodology: Participants completed repeated self-report assessments during baseline (three occasions), treatment (five occasions), and follow-up (one occasion). Outcomes were depression (Beck Depression Inventory–II; BDI-II), anxiety (Beck Anxiety Inventory; BAI), and emotion dysregulation (Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale; DERS). Analyses included structured visual inspection and single-case metrics (percentage of nonoverlapping/overlapping data [PND/POD], mean baseline level reduction [MBLR], and reliable change indices [RCI]).Findings: Across cases, baselines were stable, followed by downward trends during treatment and further reductions at follow-up. From baseline to follow-up, depression decreased by ۳۳.۸%–۳۸.۶%, anxiety decreased by ۴۵.۱%–۵۸.۵%, and emotion dysregulation decreased by ۲۳.۰%–۲۸.۹%. PND values were lower for depression (۲۰% across cases) than for anxiety and DERS, which may suggest early transient symptom elevations in some participants. RCIs exceeded conventional thresholds for reliable improvement for all outcomes (using pooled baseline variability).Conclusion: These preliminary findings suggest EMDR-DeprEnd may be feasible and potentially beneficial for reducing depressive symptoms alongside anxiety and emotion dysregulation. Replication using rigorous multiple-baseline and controlled designs with longer follow-up is warranted.

کلیدواژه ها:

EMDR ، EMDR-DeprEnd ، Depression ، Anxiety ، emotion regulation ، emotion dysregulation