Background: Generalized anxiety disorder is a common illness. Many individuals with generalized anxiety disorder report feeling anxious and tense throughout their lives. Generalized anxiety disorder affects a person’s psychological, cognitive, and cognitive-emotional functions. One therapeutic approach that can be used for this disorder is Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR).
Objective: In this study, we attempted to assess the efficacy of this treatment on the psychological symptoms, cognitive functions, and cognitive-emotional functions of people with generalized anxiety disorder, and to compare the efficacy of this treatment in both in-person and online (web-based) formats.
Methodology: This study was conducted as a randomized controlled trial with random sampling, and a sample size of 65 participants was analyzed. An expanded pretest–posttest design with a follow-up and a control group was used. Assessments were conducted using questionnaires, cognitive tasks, and daily evaluations. The statistical analysis used in this study was multivariate analysis of covariance with repeated measures.
Results: The findings indicate that Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) in both in-person and online formats significantly improved psychological symptoms, cognitive functions, and cognitive-emotional functions in patients with generalized anxiety disorder; although the effectiveness was slightly higher in the in-person format. The treatment effects remained significant at one- and three-month follow-ups.
Conclusion: This treatment, in both in-person and online formats, improves symptoms and cognitive and cognitive-emotional functions in generalized anxiety disorder.
Keywords: Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), generalized anxiety disorder, daily assessment.