Effects of a Group EMDR Intervention on Narrative Complexity and Specificity of Autobiographical Memories: the Hug the Child Study (HTC)

Summary

Background and study aims:

The Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Group Protocol with Children (EMDR-GP/C) was first developed by Korkmazlar following the Marmara earthquake in Turkey in 1999 and can be adapted for different populations. The aim of this study is to assess if a EMDR-GP program may help primary school students in improving narrative complexity and specificity of autobiographical memories, as well as their subjective unit of distress (SUD) and validity of cognition (VoC).

Who can participate? Students attending the fourth or fifth year of primary school

What does the study involve? Participants will be randomly assigned to the experimental and control groups. Participants in the experimental group will undergo a 3-week EMDR-GP with weekly 60-minute group sessions (3 sessions), while the control group will follow routine daily school activities.

Questionnaires will be used to assess narrative complexity, specificity of autobiographical memories, SUD and VoC before and after the intervention.

What are the possible benefits and risks of participating? Benefits of participating in the study may include an improvement of narrative complexity, specificity of autobiographical memories, and their SUD and VoC.

Conditions

• Child, Only
• Narration
• Memory Dysfunction
• Distress, Emotional
• Cognitive Change

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Group EMDR

The eight phases of the adapted group EMDR protocol was administered during each session: 1. Meeting: Explaining the nature of trauma, group rules, name tags, filling in the scales. 2. Preparation: Exploring children's support system, explaining EMDR, safe place, resource exercise, and installation with bilateral stimulation (BLS, butterfly hug or knee tapping). 3. Assessment: Drawing the worst image on a small separate sheet of paper, SUD level, (negative cognition, emotions, body sensations - if possible). 4. Desensitization: It is done with drawing on 4 separate papers with BLS (butterfly hug or knee tapping). 5. Installation: With the healing story written according to the adaptive information processing (AIP) model, the installation is accompanied BLS. 6. Body scan: A positive body state is installed with the relaxation technique. 7. Closure \& future template: Strong closure with artwork. 8. Re-evaluation: if possible.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Pisa

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Andrea Poli, Psy.D. · University of Pisa

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

9 Years

Max Age

11 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2021-08-20

Primary Completion

2021-10-31

Completion

2021-11-30

Countries

• Italy

Study Locations