EFT Research
EFT has been around for nearly 30 years now, and so there is a reasonable body of research testing how effective it is. Here’s a very interesting article including citations. And here are two pieces of research:
J Nerv Ment Dis. 2011 Jun;199(6):372-8. doi: 10.1097/NMD.0b013e31821cd262.
A controlled comparison of the effectiveness and efficiency of two psychological therapies for posttraumatic stress disorder:
eye movement desensitization and reprocessing vs.emotional freedom techniques.
Karatzias T, Power K, Brown K, McGoldrick T, Begum M, Young J, Loughran P, Chouliara Z, Adams S.
Source
Faculty of Health, Life and Social Sciences, Edinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh, UK.
Abstract
The present study reports on the first ever controlled comparison between eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) and emotional freedom techniques (EFT) for posttraumatic stress disorder. A total of 46 participants were randomized to either EMDR (n = 23) or EFT (n = 23). The participants were assessed at baseline and then reassessed after an 8-week waiting period. Two further blind assessments were conducted at posttreatment and 3-months follow-up. Overall, the results indicated that both interventions produced significant therapeutic gains at posttreatment and follow-up in an equal number of sessions. Similar treatment effect sizes were observed in both treatment groups. Regarding clinical significant changes, a slightly higher proportion of patients in the EMDR group produced substantial clinical changes compared with the EFT group. Given the speculative nature of the theoretical basis of EFT, a dismantling study on the active ingredients of EFT should be subject to future research.
PMID:
21629014
[PubMed – indexed for MEDLINE]
The effect of emotional freedom techniques on stress biochemistry: a randomized controlled trial.
Church D, Yount G, Brooks AJ.
Source
Foundation for Epigenetic Medicine, Fulton, CA 95439, USA.
Abstract
This study examined the changes in cortisol levels and psychological distress symptoms of 83 nonclinical subjects receiving a single hour long intervention. Subjects were randomly assigned to either an emotional freedom technique (EFT) group, a psychotherapy group receiving a supportive interviews (SI), or a no treatment (NT) group. Salivary cortisol assays were performed immediately before and 30 minutes after the intervention. Psychological distress symptoms were assessed using the symptom assessment-45. The EFT group showed statistically significant improvements in anxiety (-58.34%, p < 0.05), depression (-49.33%, p < 0.002), the overall severity of symptoms (-50.5%, p < 0.001), and symptom breadth (-41.93%, p < 0.001). The EFT group experienced a significant decrease in cortisol level (-24.39%; SE, 2.62) compared with the decrease observed in the SI (-14.25%; SE, 2.61) and NT (-14.44%; SE, 2.67) groups (p < 0.03). The decrease in cortisol levels in the EFT group mirrored the observed improvement in psychological distress.[/b]
PMID:
22986277
[PubMed – indexed for MEDLINE]
And here are links to other research: