EMDR in the Treatment of Adolescent Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Case Study

Most of the empirical evidence supporting the efficacy of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) has been with individuals suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This case study reports on the successful treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in a 13-year-old male using the standard three-pronged approach of EMDR in a private practice setting. The current protocol addressed the initial touchstone event, the current level of distress related to that event, as well as anticipation and planning for future feared events. The participant received 15 sessions of EMDR. At 90-day posttreatment follow-up, there was a substantial decrease in OCD symptoms (from moderate to subclinical) as measured by the Children's Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale, indicating a large effect size (d = 0.81). The current study provides insight into treating OCD in adolescence and how using the three-pronged approach (past, present, and future) of EMDR can be an effective tool. Study limitations and suggestions for future clinical research are discussed.