| Domains Pertaining to Strength of Evidence | Magnitude of Effect | Strength of Evidence | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Studies; Number of Subjects | Risk of Bias; Design | Consistency | Directness | Precision | Summary Effect Size (95% CI) | High, Moderate, Low, Insufficient |
| PTSD Symptom Reduction | ||||||
| 4; 117 | Medium; RCTs | Inconsistent (I2=70%) | Direct | Imprecise | SMD −1.08 (−1.83 to −0.33); SMD −1.37 (−2.05, −0.69) when only compared with WL (3 trials, N=95) | Low |
| Remission (no longer having symptoms) | ||||||
| 0; 0 | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | Insufficient |
| Loss of Diagnosis | ||||||
| 3; 95 | Medium; RCTs | Consistent (I2=27%) | Direct | Precise | RD 0.64 (0.46 to 0.81); NNT 1.56 | Moderate |
| Prevention/reduction of comorbid depression | ||||||
| 4; 117 | Medium; RCTs | Consistent (I2=0%) | Direct | Precise | SMD −1.13 (−1.52 to −0.74) | Moderate |
| Prevention/reduction of comorbid anxiety: mean change from baseline in STAI | ||||||
| 3; 93 | Medium; RCTs | Inconsistent | Direct | Imprecise | No statistically significant difference: WMD −11.08 (−23.06 to 0.90) | Insufficient |
| Quality of Life | ||||||
| 0; 0 | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | Insufficient |
| Disability/functional impairment | ||||||
| 0; 0 | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | Insufficient |
| Return to work or return to active duty | ||||||
| 0; 0 | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | Insufficient |
Abbreviations: CI = confidence interval; EMDR = eye movement desensitization and reprocessing; NA = not applicable; PTSD = post-traumatic stress disorder; RCT = randomized controlled trial; RD = risk difference; SMD = Standardized mean difference; STAI = State Trait Anxiety Inventory; WMD = weighted mean difference
From: Appendix G, Strength of Evidence
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