New Research Review finds EMDR Effective in Children and Adolescents

16 January, 2026

boy on chair in empty room

EMDR is an effective treatment for reducing trauma symptoms in children and adolescents, according to a new systematic review of research published in the journal ‘Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy’.

To date, research on the efficacy of EMDR to treat trauma has largely focused on adults, with limited evidence for children and adolescents.

Seven of the eight research studies selected for review and meta-analysis were published after the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE’s) 2018 guidelines on Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) had been issued.

The review found that:

  • Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR) is an effective treatment for reducing PTSD symptoms in children and adolescents.
  • EMDR appears to be as effective as trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy (TF-CBT) in the child and adolescent population. This systematic review found no significant differences in clinical outcomes between the two therapies, suggesting that EMDR is a comparable and valid alternative.
  • More high-quality, methodologically sound studies are needed to provide definitive conclusions. Future research should prioritise well-designed randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and include cost-effectiveness analyses to provide a more complete picture of EMDR’s benefits.

Russell Hurn, President Elect of EMDR UK says:

“We’re delighted with the results of this study which bears out EMDR practitioners’ experience of working with children and adolescents and call upon more EMDR therapists to become involved in research projects.”

This systematic review was funded by EMDR UK and conducted by the University of Sheffield. Access the study here.