TRAFİK KAZASINA BAĞLI FİZİKSEL TRAVMA GEÇİREN GENÇ BİR HASTADA EMDR TEDAVİSİNİN DEPRESYON VE UMUTSUZLUK ÜZERİNDEKİ ETKİSİ: BİR VAKA ÇALIŞMASI (THE EFFECT OF EMDR THERAPY ON DEPRESSION AND HOPELESSNESS IN A YOUNG PATIENT WITH PHYSICAL TRAUMA CAUSED BY A TRAFFIC ACCIDENT: A CASE STUDY)

TRAFİK KAZASINA BAĞLI FİZİKSEL TRAVMA GEÇİREN GENÇ BİR HASTADA EMDR TEDAVİSİNİN DEPRESYON VE UMUTSUZLUK ÜZERİNDEKİ ETKİSİ: BİR VAKA ÇALIŞMASI (THE EFFECT OF EMDR THERAPY ON DEPRESSION AND HOPELESSNESS IN A YOUNG PATIENT WITH PHYSICAL TRAUMA CAUSED BY A TRAFFIC ACCIDENT: A CASE STUDY)

 

Müge Olgun, MA (1)

Alisan Burak Yasar, MD (2)

 

1- VM Medicalpark Hospital Istanbul, 34726, Istanbul, TURKEY, e-mail: muge-olgun@hotmail.com

2- Istanbul Gelisim University, Istanbul, 34100, Turkey

 

Translated by: Specialist Psychologist Gizem Pozam

 

 

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Recent advances in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy highlight its potential in treating psychological conditions arising from traumatic events. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of EMDR therapy in reducing symptoms of depression and hopelessness in patients who have sustained physical trauma as a result of a traffic accident.

 

CASE

An 18-year-old girl had been hit by a car two years earlier. Both bones had been fractured, and her urinary tract had been permanently damaged. Being observed by doctors and medical students while lying on the gynecological examination table caused her intense shame. She underwent painful procedures, such as drainage catheter placement and urinary catheterization, many times. Following all these procedures, her hymen was damaged. She underwent two lengthy urological operations. However, her urinary incontinence persisted, and she was left with a disability rating of 77%. Her treatment is ongoing, and an artificial sphincter will be implanted in the future if necessary. She filed a lawsuit against the man who caused the accident and was very angry. She was unable to take the university entrance examination because of the accident. She subsequently stopped studying for a while. There had also been stressful events in her family life before the accident, and she had become preoccupied with them. She became angry with her father on several occasions and experienced neurotic episodes. Before the accident, she had been unhappy and distrustful of others.

 

 

METHODS

This case study focuses on a young adult who received EMDR therapy following a traumatic traffic accident that resulted in physical and psychological distress. The client attended therapy regularly for eight weeks. A case formulation was developed during the first session. The standard EMDR protocol was used in subsequent sessions. For the few remaining images, the EMD Bomb, one of the EMDR 2.0 methods, was used.

 

MEASURES

Depression and hopelessness were assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory and the Beck Hopelessness Scale before and after the EMDR treatment protocol. In addition, pre- and post-treatment Subjective Units of Disturbance (SUD) scores for the images were recorded.

 

RESULTS

The patient showed an improvement in psychological well-being following EMDR therapy. Her Beck Depression Inventory score decreased from 42 to 6, while her Beck Hopelessness Scale score decreased from 18 to 4. In addition, her SUD score decreased from 9 to 2. These results indicate a substantial reduction in depressive symptoms and feelings of hopelessness, underscoring the effectiveness and safety of EMDR therapy in trauma treatment.

 

CONCLUSIONS

EMDR therapy improved the quality of life and academic performance of a patient who experienced physical and psychological trauma due to a traffic accident. These findings support the therapeutic potential of EMDR in addressing emotional distress associated with traumatic injuries and highlight its capacity to promote resilience and recovery in affected individuals.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

IMPACT OF EMDR THERAPY ON DEPRESSION AND DESPAIR IN A YOUNG PATIENT WITH TRAFFIC ACCIDENT-INDUCED PHYSICAL TRAUMA: A CASE STUDY

 

Muge Olgun, MA (1)

Alisan Burak Yasar, MD (2)

 

1- VM Medicalpark Hospital Istanbul, 34726, Istanbul, TURKEY, e-mail: muge-olgun@hotmail.com

2- Istanbul Gelisim University, Istanbul, 34100, Turkey

 

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Recent advancements in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy highlight its potential in treating psychological conditions stemming from traumatic events. This study aims to assess the efficacy of EMDR therapy in reducing symptoms of depression and hopelessness in patients with physical trauma resulting from traffic accidents.

 

CASE

18-year-old girl hit by a car 2 years ago. Both her bones were broken and her urinary tract was permanently damaged. The doctors and medical students who looked at her while she was lying on the gynecological table during the examination caused her to feel intense embarrassment. Painful procedures such as drainage catheter and urinary catheter have been experienced many times. After all these procedures, the hymen was damaged. She had two long urology surgeries. However, the problem of urinary incontinence continuous and 77% remained disabled. The treatment process continues and an artificial sphincter will be installed if necessary in the future. She filed a lawsuit against the man who caused the accident and she was very angry. She could not take the university exam due to the accident. Then she stopped studying for a while. Additionally, there were stressful family life events before the accident, and she was obsessed with them. She got angry with her father several times and had neurosis attacks. Before the accident, she was unhappy and distrustful of people.

 

 

METHODS

The case study focuses on a young adult who underwent EMDR therapy following a traumatic traffic accident resulting in physical and psychological distress. The client came to therapy regularly for 8 weeks. The therapy formulation was prepared in the first session. Standard EMDR protocol was applied in subsequent sessions. In the remaining few images, the EMD Bomb, one of the EMDR 2.0 methods, was used.

 

MEASURES

Depression and hopelessness were evaluated using the Beck Depression Inventory and the Beck Hopelessness Scale before and after the EMDR treatment protocol. Additionally, before and after SUD scores of the images were noted.

 

RESULTS

The patient demonstrated improvement in psychological well-being post-EMDR therapy. The Beck Depression Inventory score decreased from 42 to 6, while the Beck Hopelessness Scale score reduced from 18 to 4. Additionally, the SUD score decreased from 9 to 2. These results indicate a substantial reduction in depressive symptoms and feelings of hopelessness, underscoring the efficacy and safety of EMDR therapy in trauma treatment.

 

CONCLUSIONS

EMDR therapy enhanced the quality of life and academic performance of a patient suffering from physical and psychological trauma due to a traffic accident. These findings support the therapeutic potential of EMDR in addressing emotional distress associated with traumatic injuries and emphasize its capacity to foster resilience and recovery in affected individuals.