Remote Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Treatment of Long-COVID- and Post-COVID-Related Traumatic Disorders: An Innovative Approach

Samuele Russo; Francesca Fiani; Christian Napoli

doi:10.3390/brainsci14121212

Remote Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Treatment of Long-COVID- and Post-COVID-Related Traumatic Disorders: An Innovative Approach

Brain Sci. 2024 Nov 29;14(12):1212. doi: 10.3390/brainsci14121212.

Authors

Samuele Russo¹, Francesca Fiani², Christian Napoli^{2

3

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Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Dei Marsi 78, 00185 Roma, Italy.
² Department of Computer, Control and Management Engineering, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Ariosto 25, 00185 Roma, Italy.
³ Institute for Systems Analysis and Computer Science, National Research Council, Via dei Taurini 19, 00185 Roma, Italy.
⁴ Department of Computational Intelligence, Czestochowa University of Technology, Ul. Gen. J. H. Dąbrowskiego 69, 42-201 Czestochowa, Poland.

Abstract

Background/Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to increased mental health issues, particularly among long-COVID patients, who experience persistent symptoms post-recovery, potentially leading to chronic conditions. The psychological impact of long-COVID is still largely unknown, but it may contribute to mental disorders like Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Given the global rise in anxiety and depression, exploring therapies like Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) for long-COVID traumatic disorders is crucial. This study explores the effectiveness of remote EMDR therapy for PTSD-like symptoms in long-COVID conditions (LCC), assessing their emergence, the impact of LCC on mental health, and identifying key commonalities. It also examines the potential advantages of an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered platform for EMDR treatments for both therapists and patients, evaluating the response differences between remote and in-person treatment. Methods: We enrolled a total of 160 participants divided into two groups of 80, with the experimental group receiving EMDR treatment for PTSD-like symptoms via a remote AI-powered platform, and the control group receiving traditional in-person therapy. We compared the ANOVA for Subjective Units of Disturbance (SUDs) scores, PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) scores, and Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) scores between our two groups for three cases: pre-treatment, post-treatment, and decrement. Results: Statistical significance analysis showed a consistent absence of significant differences between online AI-powered platforms and traditional in-presence sessions. This effectively confirms our hypothesis and highlights that no significant differences were observed between the two groups. Conclusions: The AI-supported remote platform demonstrates comparable efficacy in delivering EMDR therapy, confirming its potential as an effective alternative to traditional in-person methods while providing added advantages in accessibility and adaptability (e.g., remote areas, hikikomori, natural disasters).

Keywords: COVID-19; EMDR; PTSD; artificial intelligence; long-COVID; online therapy; post-COVID; remote psychotherapy; trauma.

Grants and funding

This paper was partially supported by the Age-It: Ageing Well in an Ageing Society project, task 9.4.1 work package 4 spoke 9, within topic 8 extended partnership 8, under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), Mission 4 Component 2 Investment 1.3- Call for tender No. 1557 of 11 October 2022 of the Italian Ministry of University and Research funded by the European Union—NextGenerationEU, CUP B53C22004090006. During this study Francesca Fiani was enrolled in the Italian National Doctorate in Artificial Intelligence run by Sapienza University of Rome at the Department of Computer, Control, and Management Engineering.