ArticleBMJ open2026
Effectiveness of Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy in reducing infertility distress in women: a community-based randomised crossover trial protocol.
Article in BMJ open, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionInfertility is a global health concern affecting 10%-15% of couples, often accompanied by profound psychological distress for women. Various psychological interventions being trialled in this population, outcomes have been mixed, underscoring the need for innovative therapeutic approaches. Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy, originally developed for trauma-related conditions, is a promising alternative. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of EMDR therapy in reducing infertility-related distress and improving psychological well-being among women undergoing fertility treatment. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This is a randomised crossover trial with two groups: an immediate EMDR therapy treatment group and a waitlist control group. 64 women who meet eligibility criteria for infertility-related psychological distress will be randomly assigned (1:1) using block randomisation. The intervention consists of 6 weekly EMDR sessions delivered by an accredited EMDR practitioner. Outcomes will be measured at baseline, post-treatment and 3-month follow-up. Outcomes include infertility-related distress measured by the Infertility Distress Scale (IDS) and Fertility Quality of Life scale (FertiQoL), Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21), trauma symptoms measured by the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) and the Impact of Event Scale - Revised (IES-R), psychological well-being measured by Ryff's Psychological Well-Being Scale (PWBS), self-esteem measured by the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), general health measured by the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) and coping strategies measured by the Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced Inventory (Brief-COPE). A qualitative component using reflexive thematic analysis will explore participants' subjective experiences of EMDR and infertility. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This trial has received ethical approval from the RMIT University Human Research Ethics Committee (2025-28286-27180). Results will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations and participant summaries. All participants will provide written informed consent, and those in the waitlist group will receive the intervention following the initial study period, aligning with ethical principles of beneficence and justice. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ACTRN12624001289505p.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.