Feasibility and Efficacy of the EMDR Toolbox Method in Cancer Patients.

Summary

The incidence of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) is significantly elevated in patients affected by organic diseases (Riedl, 2020). Adverse childhood experiences include life events such as physical, emotional, and sexual abuse; exposure to domestic violence; abandonment; and physical and emotional neglect occurring during early stages of life. One of the primary and most extensively studied mechanisms through which ACEs appear to influence the development of organic diseases across the lifespan is dysregulation of cortisol levels, which acts as a key mediator of increased macro- and microcellular inflammatory processes. In rhis context, it is important to integrate the standard triage and psychological distress screening interventions routinely provided by psychologists working in clinical liaison psychology services with specialized, evidence-based psychotherapeutic treatments delivered by appropriately trained professionals. Among the range of evidence-based psychotherapies currently available, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) psychotherapy-hereafter referred to as EMDR-was recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2013 and reaffirmed in 2024 as one of the treatments of choice for trauma and the psychophysiological consequences of adverse events. Since 2015, Manuela Spadoni has systematized the empirical evidence, theoretical concepts, the parts model, and the operational tools of the additional EMDR procedures introduced by Jim Knipe beginning in 2001 into a structured psychotherapeutic approach known as the EMDR Toolbox method. This method appears to be particularly well suited for treating individuals whose clinical history is characterized by multiple adverse experiences. The present randomized trial aims to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of the EMDR Toolbox Method (ETM) in patients diagnosed with oncological disease.