EMDR Therapy in the Treatment of a Hillsborough Survivor with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

On 26 April 2017, the Hillsborough Inquiry concluded that 96 Liverpool fans were unlawfully killed and
that police and emergency services were negligent. The Hillsborough Disaster on 15 April 1989, remains
the most serious tragedy to date in UK sporting history. Its legacy is that thousands of survivors experienced
physical injury and/or long-term psychological trauma and harm. Many survivors encounter Post-Traumatic
Stress Disorder (“PTSD”), a significant mental health issue that has a pervasive impact in levels of
functioning and generates high levels of distress. This paper will explore the key features of PTSD, it’s
neurobiological underpinnings and consider safe, effective, efficient and empirically validated psychological
treatment interventions. One evidence-based treatment intervention, EMDR Therapy, will be outlined
demonstrating the core elements of the psychotherapeutic approach, mechanisms of action and its
subsequent application with a Hillsborough survivor who sought psychological treatment for the first
time, 26 years after the disaster. Furthermore, the paper will provide a context as to why personal injury
lawyers need to be conversant with psychological trauma, PTSD, core symptoms, maintenance factors
and possible treatment interventions.