Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing in Child and Adolescent Psychology: a Narrative Review

Purpose of review Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is recognized as an excellent approach to the treatment of trauma in clinical and academic contexts by several national and international organizations. The purpose of this work is to summarize the results of research on EMDR therapy with children and adolescents in various contexts through a narrative review of the scientific literature. Recent findings Selected studies were clustered in several clinical domains: (2) EMDR and trauma (T), (3) EMDR and violence, (4) EMDR and physical illnesses, and (5) EMDR and psychological problems. Our research indicates how the effectiveness of EMDR therapy within the context of child and adolescent psychology has been widely established in literature. One of the advantages of the use of EMDR therapy with children and adolescents is its flexibility, which allows it to be adapted for various age ranges, situations, and cultures. Summary EMDR therapy is a structured psychotherapeutic method that facilitates the treatment of several psychopathologies and problems related to both traumatic events and more common experiences that are emotionally stressful for children and adolescents, although new studies are necessary to increase its validity.

A History of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology

The roots of the broader field of clinical child psychology date to the founding of the first psychology clinic by Lightner Witmer at the University of Pennsylvania in 1896. The first professional society dedicated to this discipline, the Section on Clinical Child Psychology, was founded in 1962 by Alan Ross. It became a member of the Society of Clinical Psychology (Division 12) of the American Psychological Association (APA). In 1998, clinical child psychology was recognized as a specialty by the APA. The Section on Clinical Child Psychology evolved into the Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology (Division 53, APA), and the American Board of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology was founded. The emphasis of this field is on evidence-based assessment and treatment of children as individuals, family members, and students in school. The evidence includes controlled randomized trials of clinical procedures, which are increasingly made available to the public.

Emerging Ethical and Legal Issues in Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology

Clinical practice and research with children and adolescents diagnosed with mental health conditions can raise complex ethical questions that touch on fundamental tensions between core ethical principles, such as autonomy, beneficence, and nonmaleficence. This chapter focuses on three dynamic ethics areas that often raise complex ethical questions in child and adolescent clinical psychology: (a) informed consent and assent policies and procedures; (b) confidentiality policies and disclosure decision-making; and (c) developing and maintaining competence. Traditional ethics sources, such as professional codes, laws and regulations, and professional guidelines, are discussed; evidence-based ethics approaches are examined that, in conjunction with traditional ethics sources, can provide contextual information to inform ethical decision-making and help psychologists tailor procedures to specific participant/client populations and/or settings.

Research Methodology in Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology

To continue to move the field of clinical child and adolescent psychology forward, researchers must systematically rely on research strategies that achieve favorable balances between scientific rigor and clinical relevance. This chapter presents an overview of modern methods and considerations that maximize both rigor and relevance in the evaluation of child and adolescent treatments. This research methodology chapter is organized around the four stages of a clinical trial: (a) planning a clinical trial; (b) conducting a clinical trial; (c) analyzing trial outcomes, and (d) reporting results. Sample selection, random assignment, control condition selection, treatment integrity, missing data, clinical significance, treatment mechanisms, and consolidated standards for communicating study findings to the scientific community are addressed. Collectively, the methods and design considerations detail modern research strategies for the continually evolving science of clinical child and adolescent psychology.