Across the UK, more than 168,000 Veterans live with the lasting impact of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), yet many wait over a decade before seeking help. Long waiting lists, stigma, and the challenge of revisiting traumatic memories in weekly therapy mean that up to 60% of Veterans drop out of treatment before recovery begins.

The I-VETEMDR Project (Intensive Online EMDR for UK Veterans) aims to change this. Co-produced with Veterans, charities such as Combat Stress, and NHS partners, this NIHR-aligned feasibility trial will test whether Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy—delivered intensively and entirely online—is a safe, acceptable, and effective option for those who struggle to engage with traditional weekly trauma-focused care.

Over two weeks, Veterans will receive up to 24 EMDR sessions (two per day across three days each week), with preparatory stabilisation sessions provided by assistant psychologists. The study will evaluate feasibility, engagement, and potential benefits for PTSD, depression, suicidality, and alcohol use, alongside pilot health-economic data.

If successful, I-VETEMDR could transform national access to trauma treatment—reducing wait times, dropout rates, and health inequalities while empowering Veterans to recover from trauma in their own homes.

This pioneering collaboration between Vanguard CIC, University of Manchester, and Combat Stress represents a vital step towards evidence-based, digitally enabled trauma therapy for those who served.