Emotional Freedom Techniques Intervention Research Articles

A randomized clinical trial of emotional freedom techniques for chronic pain: Live versus self-paced delivery with 6-month follow-up.

Chronic pain represents a major global healthcare crisis, and current treatments are limited in effectiveness and safety. Emotional freedom techniques (EFTs) show promise as a potential psychological treatment. The current study investigated the effect of a randomized clinical trial of EFT for chronic pain in a sample of 147 adult chronic pain sufferers (89.9% female; mean 54.63 years). Participants engaged in a 6-week EFT programme (either online self-paced or in-person). The per-protocol analysis indicated pain severity and interference scores were significantly lower at the end of treatment for the EFT group compared to waitlist, and these were sustained at follow-up. There were no differences between the in-person or self-paced programmes at follow-up for pain severity and interference. Somatic symptoms were significantly lower after EFT, although no further differences at follow-up. Quality of life scores were significantly higher after EFT, which were sustained at follow-up, and no differences between two styles of programme. No significant effects were found for anxiety, depression, happiness or satisfaction with life across the 6-week programmes for either style of delivery or at follow-up. These are discussed in terms of clinical score meanings. Intent-to-treat analysis was consistent with the per-protocol analyses. Limitations of the study are identified and future directions are discussed. Findings offer early promise for EFT as a potentially effective pain management strategy, as well as support for online intervention without compromising treatment outcomes. An emerging body-based intervention for chronic pain may be a possible solution for remote clients who cannot attend in-person sessions. In this clinical trial Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) significantly reduced chronic pain severity and interference, and there were no differences between and online self-paced program toan online in-person EFT intervention. Both were equally effective, also enhancing quality of life without compromising outcomes. The results were significant at 6-month follow-up/. These findings highlight a body-based approach as a promising, accessible pain management strategy, and highlights that online programs may be part of the solution for chronic pain patients.

Emotional Freedom Techniques for Postpartum Depression, Perceived Stress, and Anxiety

ObjectiveTo examine the effect of an Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) group intervention on perceived stress, depression, and anxiety symptoms in women in the postpartum period. DesignA one-group pre- and posttest quasi-experimental design. Setting/Local ProblemPostpartum depression (PPD) and anxiety affect nearly one in five women in the first 12 months after childbirth. The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with a significant worsening of symptoms of PPD, stress, and anxiety in this population. Mental health screening is the standard of care in perinatal settings. This practice has led to an increased rate of PPD and anxiety diagnoses and the need for evidence-based nonpharmacologic interventions to support mothers with PPD and anxiety. ParticipantsEleven mothers seeking care for lactation concerns who screened positive for PPD and anxiety symptoms. Intervention/MeasurementsA total of eight 1-hour group EFT sessions were offered to participants over a period of 4 weeks. During the group sessions, participants were taught how to perform the steps of EFT and apply it in a supportive group format. Measurement tools included the Subjective Unit of Distress Scale, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder–7. The preintervention and postintervention scores of these tools were compared using a paired-samples t test. ResultsAfter implementing EFT as a group intervention, we observed a reduction in mental health burden experienced by women in the postpartum period. There was a statistically significant decrease in depression (p = .003), anxiety (p <.001), and perceived stress (p <.001) scores 1 month after the EFT intervention. ConclusionThese findings suggest that EFT may be a viable adjunctive intervention for managing depression, anxiety, and stress in the postpartum period. Further research with larger and more diverse samples is needed to confirm these findings.

Neural changes after Emotional Freedom Techniques treatment for chronic pain sufferers

This clinical trial investigated the effect of an Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) intervention on brain activation in chronic pain sufferers using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). EFT is a brief stress reduction technique which combines stating a cognitive statement with somatic tapping on acupressure points. Twenty-four adults were allocated to a six-week online group EFT treatment and underwent resting-state fMRI pre and post the intervention. A repeated measures MANOVA indicated significant differences in the levels of pain severity (−21%), pain interference (−26%), quality of life (+7%), somatic symptoms (−28%), depression (−13.5%), anxiety (−37.1%), happiness (+17%), and satisfaction with life (+8.8%) from pre-to post-test. Cohen's effect sizes ranged from small (0.2) to large (0.75) values suggesting significance for the intervention. fMRI analysis showed post-EFT treatment significantly decreased connectivity between the medial prefrontal cortex (a pain modulating area) and bilateral grey matter areas in the posterior cingulate cortex and thalamus, both areas being related to modulating and catastrophizing of pain. There were no brain areas that showed significantly increased connectivity post-EFT treatment. Coupled with the psychological measures the findings support the effects of the EFT intervention in reducing chronic pain and its impacts. Recommendations for future research are discussed.

Application of SEFTnobirthing-Ball To The Progress of Childbirth Process In Maternity Mother Primigravida In BPM Ika Siswiyanti Demak City

Background: The maternal mortality rate in Indonesia is 38 thousand every day. One of the causes of the high mortality rate in Indonesia is prolonged labor. Prolonged labor is a labor process that lasts more than 24 hours in primiparas. There were 29 cases of old labor at the Independent Midwife Practice Ika Siswiyanti in Demak City in 2020, there were 29 cases, and all of these cases were referred. Self-birthing-ball is a combination of Spiritual Emotional Freedom Technique intervention with birthing ball that can reduce pain intensity and speed up the duration of labor. This study aims to determine the effect of self-birthing-ball on the progress of the first stage of labor in primigravida mothers. Methods: The design of this study was a Quasy experimental with a post-test only design. The research sample was 16 respondents obtained through purposive sampling, namely prospective respondents must meet the inclusion and exclusion criteria that have been determined. Statistical tests using Wilcoxon test. Results: The average percentage of labor progress is 3.2. statistical results obtained a p-value 0.031 (0.05), which shows that there has been an effect SEFTnobirthing-ball on the progress of the first stage of labor in primigravida mothers. Conclusion: SEFTnobirthing-ball proven to increase the progress of the first stage labor. Keywords: Birthing-ball; labor progress; first stage labor; SEFT

The Effect of Emotional Freedom Technique on Fatigue among Women with Multiple Sclerosis: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background:This study aimed to investigate the effect of Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) on the severity of fatigue among women with Multiple Sclerosis (MS).Materials and Methods:This was a single-blind, randomized controlled trial study conducted on 50 women with MS in Isfahan, Iran. Sampling was performed using simple sampling method, then the participants were randomly divided into two groups of case and sham using the minimization method. The EFT intervention was performed on the case group, 2 sessions per week for a 4-weeks period. In the sham group, with the same psychological part of the EFT technique like case group, mild tapping was applied on false points for the same period of time. Fatigue severity score was obtained using the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) before and immediately and 4 weeks after the intervention in the two groups. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive and inferential statistical methods.Results:The results of the independent t-test indicated that the mean (SD) score of fatigue severity before the intervention was not significantly different between the case and sham groups 5.48 (0.75) and (5.39 (0.71) with (p = 0.67). However, this difference was significant immediately [(3.05 (0.89) and 5.15 (0.94)] and 4 weeks after the intervention 3.10 (0.81) and 5.59 (0.57) (p < 0.001).Conclusions:It seems that EFT is effective in diminishing fatigue among patients with MS and is recommended as a convenient and safe non-medicament strategy for self-management of fatigue among these patients, and can be used at the bedside by nurses.

Comparison of the Effectiveness of Two Modalities of Group Delivery of Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) Intervention for Food Cravings: Online versus In-Person

Recent research has demonstrated the effectiveness of Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), to address overeating behaviours in obese and overweight individuals both in-person (Church & Brooks, 2010; Stapleton et al., 2011, 2012, 2016, 2017) and online (Church, Stapleton, Sheppard & Carter, 2018; Church & Wilde, 2013). The aim of the present study was to determine whether an online EFT program was as efficacious as the in-person treatment. This was achieved by comparing data from a randomised clinical trial (RCT) for an in-person EFT intervention for weight management (Stapleton et al., 2016), with an equivalent online RCT. Each program targeted food cravings, the subjective power of food, dietary restraint, body mass index, weight, somatic symptomology, anxiety, and depression. Results indicate both modalities were comparable in efficacy and both groups experienced significant reductions from pre-intervention to post-intervention, with reductions remaining significant at follow ups for food cravings, power of food, depression and weight, with minor differences observed at post-intervention or 6-month follow up for dietary restraint, somatic symptoms, anxiety and body mass index. Follow-up analyses revealed a significant effect of depression, anxiety and weight on attrition in the online treatment group.

Online Delivery of Emotional Freedom Techniques in the Treatment of Food Cravings and Weight Management: A Randomised Controlled Trial

Abstract: Background: The combination of dietary restraint and physical exercise as a recommended treatment for weight loss has had limited long-term success. One factor proposed as limiting weight management techniques efficacy is the failure to target psychological processes linked with overeating. Consistent with prior research that has identified the efficacy of emotional freedom techniques (EFT) in reducing food cravings and aiding weight loss, this pilot randomised controlled trial (RCT) examined the impact of online delivery of EFT intervention on food cravings and weight management. Methods: Participants were randomly assigned to an 8-week online EFT intervention group or waitlist control group. The sample comprised primarily of women (96%) aged between 41 and 60 years. Of the treatment group, 65% consumed their craved foods daily and had an average Body Mass Index in the obese range (33.3). Outcome measures assessed included food cravings, dietary restraint, subjective power of food, weight, somatic (body sensation), anxiety, and depressive symptoms. Results: Post-intervention analyses revealed significant reductions on all measures for participants in the EFT condition (n = 314) with Cohen’s effect size values suggesting moderate to high practical significance for the online intervention. However, there were no significant differences for participants in the waitlist control group (n = 137). In this crossover study design, post-test waitlist data was collapsed into the EFT treatment group data for follow-up analyses, which indicated treatment gains on all measures at 6-month (n = 216) and 12-month (n = 145) follow-up. Conclusions: Findings constitute preliminary support for the utility of online EFT as an accessible tool to assist the management of food cravings and body weight.

The Effect of Emotional Freedom Techniques Therapy towards Learning Concentration Level of Students

Background. Concentration can determine individual learning achievement. Concentration can be enhanced by implementing Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) therapy method, because EFT can increase the learning concentration by stimulating the limbic system. The study aimed at identifying the effect of Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) Therapy on Student Learning Concentration. Methods. The research method used in this study was quasi experimental design with the untreated control group design with dependent pre-test and post-test samples. The number of samples in the study was 30 respondents, divided into intervention and control groups using non-probability sampling technique of purposive sampling. The intervention group was given EFT within 30 minutes, three times, and for two weeks. Before and after intervention, the level of learning concentration was measured by using a psychological scale. Data analysis used in this study was t-test. Results. The results showed that there was a significant differences between learning concentration level before and after being implemented EFT intervention (p&lt;0.05) and there was a significant difference in the concentration of learning after being given the intervention between the experimental and control groups (p&lt;0.05). Conclusion. It could be concluded that EFT can improve the concentration of individual learning especially adolescents. The use of EFT is supported by empirical evidence, using simple techniques, easy to be conducted by anyone, and gives no side effects.

Effectiveness of a School-Based Emotional Freedom Techniques Intervention for Promoting Student Wellbeing

Effectiveness of a School-Based Emotional Freedom Techniques Intervention for Promoting Student Wellbeing

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Emotional Freedom Technique in Reducing Anxiety and Depression in Indian Adults

WHO places Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), or depression, as the fourth leading cause of mental disability world-wide. According to a survey done by WHO in February 2017, found 7.5% of Indians suffer from major or minor mental disorders requiring expert intervention. National Mental Health Survey of India in 2015-2016 reports that one in 20 Indians suffer from Depression especially women in the age-group of 40-49 years suffers more. Earlier research indicated that Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) represents a superior approach in treating mild to severe depression symptoms. Whereas Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) has received increased attention. The present study is in line with a study conducted in Australia in 2016 by Hannah Chatwin et al. The objective of the current study is to evaluate the comparative effectiveness of CBT and EFT in the treatment of anxiety and depression in Indian adults. Random subjects (n = 10) were selected from Ahmedabad (a metro city) in India who were screened positive for anxiety disorder and depression using Depression, Anxiety and Stress scale (DASS21) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI2). These subjects were randomly assigned to an 8 week CBT or EFT treatment program with 1 session per week. All participants were screened after 3 sessions, 5 sessions, 8 sessions and after 1 month of follow up using DASS21 and BDI2. Findings of the study depict that both intervention approaches produce significant reductions in anxiety and depressive symptoms. The EFT treatment produced marked improvement in depression after 3 sessions. After 8 weeks of intervention, the CBT group reported significant improvement in depression while EFT intervention therapy showed significant results after 1 month of follow up. Examination of individual cases showed clinically significant improvement in anxiety and depression across both interventions. The results are consistent with the previous studies by Hannah Chatwin et al. (2016). Present findings suggest that EFT is of paramount importance as pivotal tool in managing anxiety and depression in Indian population.

Efektifitas Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) Terhadap Penurunan Tingkat Depresi Pada Lansia

Depression in eldery couldn’t be easily detected because physical complaint was more often than emotional complaint. In severe case, depression could cause suicidal behaviour (Irawan, 2013). Therefore, elderly need assistance to deal with depression, and Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) is one of the solution. Research design is pre-experimental design, using pre-test and post-test design. Before intervention, Geriatric Depression Scale test were given to one group of elder people. EFT intervention were given two times for four weeks, and Geriatric Depression Scale test were tested after intervention. Population was elder people who fulfill inclusion criterias, and 30 elderly were obatained. The significancy result was 0,000 (α = 0,05), it could be inferred that EFT has a strong relationship to depression scale. EFT could significantly reduce depression scale in elderly, so it can bes used effectively.

A Randomized Controlled Comparison of Emotional Freedom Technique and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy to Reduce Adolescent Anxiety: A Pilot Study.

The objective of this pilot study was to compare the efficacy of Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) with that of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in reducing adolescent anxiety. Randomized controlled study. This study took place in 10 schools (8 public/2 private; 4 high schools/6 middle schools) in 2 northeastern states in the United States. Sixty-three high-ability students in grades 6-12, ages 10-18 years, who scored in the moderate to high ranges for anxiety on the Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale-2 (RCMAS-2) were randomly assigned to CBT (n = 21), EFT (n = 21), or waitlist control (n = 21) intervention groups. CBT is the gold standard of anxiety treatment for adolescent anxiety. EFT is an evidence-based treatment for anxiety that incorporates acupoint stimulation. Students assigned to the CBT or EFT treatment groups received three individual sessions of the identified protocols from trained graduate counseling, psychology, or social work students enrolled at a large northeastern research university. The RCMAS-2 was used to assess preintervention and postintervention anxiety levels in participants. EFT participants (n = 20; M = 52.16, SD = 9.23) showed significant reduction in anxiety levels compared with the waitlist control group (n = 21; M = 57.93, SD = 6.02) (p = 0.005, d = 0.74, 95% CI [-9.76, -1.77]) with a moderate to large effect size. CBT participants (n = 21; M = 54.82, SD = 5.81) showed reduction in anxiety but did not differ significantly from the EFT (p = 0.18, d = 0.34; 95% CI [-6.61, 1.30]) or control (p = 0.12, d = 0.53, 95% CI [-7.06, .84]). EFT is an efficacious intervention to significantly reduce anxiety for high-ability adolescents.

Intervensi Spiritual Emotional Freedom Technique untuk Menurunkan Gangguan Stres Pasca Trauma Erupsi Gunung Merapi

Abstract The research objective is to examines the influence of Spiritual Emotional Freedom technique intervention to reduce PTSD of adolescent survivors of volcanic eruption. Subjects were 22 adolescent survivors of volcanic eruption, happened in 2010 in Yogyakarta and Central Java. Subjects were selected with random assignment and measured by using post traumatic stress disorder scale (adapted and modified from the Impact of Event Scale-Revised-IES-R). The subject is divided into two groups of experimental and control group, each group consisted of 11 people. The research design is pretest posttest control group design. Subject were treated by spiritual emotional freedom technique intervention (spirituality, like prayer and acceptance and energy psychology) with three technique, set-up, tune-in and tapping. The results showed that spiritual emotional freedom technique intervention can reduce PTSD of adolescent survivors of volcanic eruption. Key words: spiritual emotional freedom technique intervention, post traumatic stress disorder, adolescent survivors of volcanic eruption.

Psychological Trauma Symptom Improvement in Veterans Using Emotional Freedom Techniques

This study examined the effect of Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), a brief exposure therapy combining cognitive and somatic elements, on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and psychological distress symptoms in veterans receiving mental health services. Veterans meeting the clinical criteria for PTSD were randomized to EFT (n = 30) or standard of care wait list (SOC/WL; n = 29). The EFT intervention consisted of 6-hour-long EFT coaching sessions concurrent with standard care. The SOC/WL and EFT groups were compared before and after the intervention (at 1 month for the SOC/WL group and after six sessions for the EFT group). The EFT subjects had significantly reduced psychological distress (p < 0.0012) and PTSD symptom levels (p < 0.0001) after the test. In addition, 90% of the EFT group no longer met PTSD clinical criteria, compared with 4% in the SOC/WL group. After the wait period, the SOC/WL subjects received EFT. In a within-subjects longitudinal analysis, 60% no longer met the PTSD clinical criteria after three sessions. This increased to 86% after six sessions for the 49 subjects who ultimately received EFT and remained at 86% at 3 months and at 80% at 6 months. The results are consistent with that of other published reports showing EFT's efficacy in treating PTSD and comorbid symptoms and its long-term effects.

The Effect of EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) on Athletic Performance: A Randomized Controlled Blind Trial

The present study investigates the effect of a psychophysiological intervention, Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), on athletic performance. It evaluates whether a single EFT treatment can produce an improvement in high- performance men's and women's PAC-10 college basketball team members (n = 26). The treatment group received a 15 minute EFT session while a performance-matched attention control group received a placebo intervention of similar dura- tion. Performance was measured on free throws and vertical jump height. The time frame of data collection and treatment simulated an actual basketball game. A statistically significant difference between the two groups was found for free throws (p<.03). On post-test, players who received the EFT intervention improved an average of 20.8%, while the atten- tion control group decreased an average of 16.6%. There was no difference between treatment groups in jump height. When performance was analyzed separately by gender, trends toward significance were found for the women's team on both performance measures with better results for the EFT intervention group. This indicates that EFT performed as an intervention during the course of an athletic event may improve free throw performance.