Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) for the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder in adults: A systematic review

TL;DR

This paper reviews the effectiveness of Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) for treating PTSD in adults, finding it promising but needing more research.

Contribution

This is the first systematic review evaluating ART's efficacy for adult PTSD treatment.

Findings

ART significantly reduced PTSD symptoms with effect sizes ranging from d = 1.12 to 3.28.

ART also reduced depression, anxiety, mental distress, and sleep dysfunction.

More high-quality studies are needed to confirm ART's efficacy due to limited evidence.

Abstract

Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), developed in 2008, uses techniques such as rapid eye movement, in vivo exposure, and image rescripting to recondition stressful memories, and reduce physical and emotional reactions to traumatic memories. There is considerable interest in evidence-based treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This is the first systematic review examining the efficacy of ART for the treatment of PTSD among adults. We searched MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Embase, CINAHL, Scopus, trial registries, and government and private websites for citations published before October 2023. Studies that reported on the effect of ART for PTSD among adults were included. Meta-analyses could not be undertaken due to heterogeneity in study designs and an insufficient number of studies with a low risk of bias. Risk of bias was assessed, and findings synthesized following the synthesis without meta-analysis (SWiM) guidelines. Of the 112 records screened, five studies (Nenrolled = 337; Ncompleted = 250) and six reports of studies met criteria for inclusion. Included studies reported a significant reduction in symptoms of PTSD from pre- to post-intervention, d = 1.12 to 3.28. Significant reductions were also reported in symptoms of depression, mental distress, anxiety, and sleep dysfunction. ART shows some promise as a time-efficient clinical treatment for symptoms of PTSD in adults; however, more high-quality studies are needed.

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