Effectiveness of an Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Intervention for the Prevention of Post-Traumatic Symptoms in Perinatal Loss: A Randomized Pilot Controlled Trial

Barbara Sureda^1,2,3Cristina Garcia-Gibert^1,4Amparo Martínez^1,5Yolanda Giménez^1,5Xavier Segú^2,6Aida Mallorquí^2,6Estel Gelabert⁷Alba Roca-Lecumberri^1,2,8Anna Torres-Giménez^1,2,3,8*

• ¹Perinatal Mental Health Unit, Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Balearic Islands, Spain
• ²Psychiatry and Psychology Service, Clinical Institute of Neurosciences of the Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Balearic Islands, Spain
• ³Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
• ⁴Sexual and Reproductive Health Care Assistance Center, Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Deu, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
• ⁵Maternal Fetal Medicine Service, Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Balearic Islands, Spain
• ⁶Clinical Health Psychology Section, Institute of Neuroscience, Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Balearic Islands, Spain
• ⁷Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
• ⁸August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain

Background: Perinatal loss is a situation with significant traumatic potential. However, no study has evaluated the effectiveness of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) for the prevention or treatment of post-traumatic symptoms in perinatal loss . The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of an EMDR recent traumatic episode protocol (EMDR-RTEP) as a preventive intervention for post-traumatic symptoms after perinatal loss. (post-treatment). We performed an intention-to-treat analysis using analysis of covariance with baseline scores as covariates.Results: Women who received the EMDR-RTEP scored non-significantly lower than women who received TAU in all post-treatment outcomes. According to a satisfaction scale (CRES-4), women who received the EMDR-RTEP had a higher perceived emotional change than women who received TAU (U = 69.5, p = .011).Conclusions: EMDR-RTE is a feasible intervention, that is well accepted and tolerated by women after perinatal loss, with adequate satisfaction. Further studies with a larger sample size are needed to confirm these results.Clinical trial registration: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/, identifier: NCT05701137.