Older people’s perceptions of how eye movement integration therapy facilitates their processing of trauma symptoms

ABSTRACT

The study aims to describe the perceptions that trauma-exposed older people hold about how Eye Movement Integration therapy (EMI) facilitates their processing of trauma symptoms. Ten older persons participated in a qualitative interview to review their perceptions of the therapy, combined with pre- and post-intervention quantitative checklists of trauma symptoms. The results show improvements in most trauma symptoms for most participants. Older persons perceived EMI as helpful in alleviating trauma symptoms. Further research into EMI is warranted to verify the results of this study, with a view to increasing affordable access to mental health services for trauma among older persons.

KEYWORDS:

• EMI
• mental health
• neurotherapy
• older adult

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to acknowledge the contribution of Nelson Mandela University, Gqeberha, South Africa, towards the original study on which this article is based.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).