SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article
Front. Psychiatry
Sec. Addictive Disorders
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1660046
This article is part of the Research TopicEmerging Treatment Approaches for Substance Use DisordersView all 7 articles
Therapeutic Effects of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing for Substance Use Disorders: A Meta-Analysis of Addiction-Related and Emotional Symptoms
Provisionally accepted- Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
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Objective: This meta-analysis identified the effects of EMDR on both addiction-related symptoms (e.g., craving, addiction severity) and comorbid emotional symptoms (e.g., posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety), and the influence of moderator variables across these symptom domains in substance use disorders (SUDs). Methods: We systematically searched the literature published up to June 2025 through major databases including Cochrane, PubMed, Embase, and PsycINFO. A total of 14 studies were included in the final analysis, including randomized controlled trials (RCTs), randomized crossover studies, and quasi-experimental studies. The effect size was calculated using Hedges' g based on pre-to-post treatment changes, and a meta-analysis was conducted using a random-effects model. In addition, meta-regression and subgroup analyses were performed, focusing on moderator variables such as study design, intervention type, total session number, and participant characteristics. Results: The meta-analysis results showed that EMDR produced a significant treatment effect with moderate or higher effect sizes for craving (g = 0.55), PTSD (g = 0.69), depression (g = 0.64), and anxiety (g = 0.72) symptoms, and heterogeneity ranged from low to moderate. On the other hand, the effect on addiction severity was not significant (g = 0.14). The effect on craving showed significant differences depending on the diagnostic group of the participants (Alcohol/Drug Use Group vs. Nicotine Use Group) and the study design (RCT vs. non-RCT). Some studies observed a short-term effect of reducing craving, but the evidence supporting long-term treatment effects was limited. Conclusion: These findings suggest that EMDR may be an effective intervention not only for emotional comorbid symptoms in individuals with SUD, but also for certain addiction-related symptoms, particularly in reducing craving. However, the quality of the included studies was generally low, and there was a lack of evidence regarding long-term effects. Future studies should employ more rigorous research designs, include sufficient sample sizes and long-term follow-up assessments, and perform detailed analyses that take into account intervention types and participant characteristics. Such research will help to clarify the therapeutic utility of EMDR and promote its practical application in addiction treatment settings.
Keywords: EMDR, substance use disorder, craving, PTSD, Depression, Anxiety
Received: 05 Jul 2025; Accepted: 01 Sep 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Seok, Kim and Kim. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Ji-woo Seok, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
Jaeuk Kim, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
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