PTSD — MRCPsych Paper B MCQ

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ModerateAnxiety & Stress-Related DisordersPTSDMRCPsych Paper B

A 35-year-old man has PTSD following a single non-combat-related traumatic event 6 months ago and is offered eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR). According to NICE NG116, over how many sessions should EMDR typically be provided?

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Correct answer: E — 8–12 sessions

The correct answer is E: 8–12 sessions. NICE NG116 recommends EMDR for adults with PTSD presenting more than 3 months after a non-combat-related trauma and states that it should typically be delivered over 8–12 sessions. A longer course may be clinically indicated, particularly after multiple traumas or where additional complexity affects engagement. Therefore, 16–20 or 24–30 sessions are not the standard course, although an individual treatment programme may exceed 12 sessions. Four to six and six to eight sessions are shorter than the typical NICE-recommended range. Current NG116 does not specify that every EMDR session must last at least 90 minutes.

Reference: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Post-traumatic stress disorder (NG116), recommendation 1.6.20. 2018; last reviewed 8 April 2025. https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng116/chapter/recommendations