Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing as an Early Intervention for Psychological Distress in Healthcare Professionals during COVID-19: A Systematic Literature Review and Meta-analysis

Healthcare professionals (HCPs) experienced elevated rates of psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic, including symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression. The unprecedented psychological burden on HCPs led to the emerging use of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) as an early psychological intervention during ongoing crisis conditions, rather than solely as a post-trauma treatment. This novel application within a continuous high-stress healthcare context warrants systematic examination. A systematic search of PsycINFO, PsycArticles, PubMed, CINAHL, ScienceDirect, and the Cochrane Library identified 13 studies assessing the use and effectiveness of EMDR for HCPs experiencing COVID-19-related psychological distress. A meta-analysis of PTSD outcomes was conducted using data from eligible studies, alongside a narrative synthesis of anxiety, depression, and other distress-related outcomes. EMDR was associated with clinically meaningful reductions in PTSD, anxiety, depression, and related symptoms of psychological distress. The meta-analysis demonstrated a large and statistically significant reduction in PTSD following EMDR treatment. Considering the low to moderate quality of studies, this review provides tentative evidence for the effectiveness of EMDR for HCPs in the treatment of COVID-19-related psychological distress and suggests its utility as an early intervention in crisis scenarios. Variations in EMDR protocols and delivery methods—used to meet urgent clinical demands—are discussed. Findings offer preliminary support for EMDR as a clinically beneficial and potentially scalable early intervention for HCPs experiencing COVID-19-related psychological distress. Further high-quality research is required to clarify effectiveness, optimize protocol selection, and strengthen the evidence for EMDR’s use during ongoing trauma exposure.