EMDR is a psychotherapeutic approach recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) for the treatment of disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression and, more generally, psychological distress. In all these disorders, intrusions are one of the symptoms leading to intense emotional distress. EMDR therapy, by making intrusions less emotional and less present in the mind (i.e. less vivid), would reduce psychological distress. This symptomatological reduction would be made possible by the therapist's application of alternating bilateral visual (rapid eye movements following a point from left to right), auditory (tones emitted alternately in the right ear and then in the left ear) and/or tactile (tapping with fingers on the left and right shoulders alternately) stimulations administered while the patient concentrates on his or her intrusive thoughts. Accordingly, the aim of this research is to investigate the efficacy of self-administration of Alternating Bilateral Stimulations (ABS), on the emotional intensity (emotionality) associated with negative intrusive thoughts (or intrusions).
Present symptoms of acute stress (score between 22 and 35 on the Impact Event Scale-Revised, IES-R) and/or PTSD (higher score or equal to 36 on the IES-R), but at least present moderate to high psychological distress (score equal to or greater than 8 on the Kessler Abbreviated Psychological Distress Scale, K6);
Being in need of psychotherapeutic follow-up but not having started it yet;
Be aged between 18 and 65 years inclusive;
Speak and write French (be able to understand information and complete questionnaires independently);
Be an adult protected under guardianship or curatorship;
Be a person subject to a judicial safeguard measure;
Present a lack of autonomy implying an impossibility in terms of administering questionnaires and filling out questionnaires;
Have a vision defect implying an impossibility of visual tracking of a white dot;