Depression Symptoms Improve after Successful Weight Loss with Emotional Freedom Techniques; Stapleton et al 2013

March 3, 2015 Depression, Food Cravings and Weight Loss

Stapleton, P., Church, D., Sheldon, T., Porter, B., & Carlopio, C. (2013). Depression Symptoms Improve after Successful Weight Loss with Emotional Freedom Techniques. ISRN Psychiatry, 2013, 573532. doi:10.1155/2013/573532 Click here to read Abstract and Full Paper http://goo.gl/Knpxuk

Abstract

Ninety-six overweight or obese adults were randomly allocated to a four-week EFT treatment or waitlist condition. Waitlist participants crossed over to the EFT group upon completion of wait period. Degree of food craving, perceived power of food, restraint capabilities, and psychological symptoms were assessed at pretreatment, post-treatment and at 12-month follow-up for combined EFT groups. Significant improvements in weight, body mass index, food cravings, subjective power of food, craving restraint and psychological coping for EFT participants from pretreatment to 12-month follow-up (P < 0.05) were reported. The current paper isolates the depression symptom levels of participants, as well as levels of eight other psychological conditions.

Significant decreases from pre- to post-treatment were found for depression, interpersonal sensitivity, obsessive-compulsivity, paranoid ideation, and somatization (P < 0.05). Significant decreases from pretreatment to 12-month follow-up were found for depression, interpersonal sensitivity, psychoticism, and hostility. The results point to the role depression, and other mental health conditions may play in the successful maintenance of weight loss.

Craig’s Notes:

The data from this study has been used as the foundation for three published papers by Stapleton, et al. This study investigated ninety-six overweight or obese adults who were randomly allocated to a four-week (2 hour EFT session one time per week plus self-directed EFT between sessions) EFT treatment or waitlisted. Waitlist participants crossed over to the EFT group upon completion of wait period. The researchers measured through self-report measurement tools the degree of food craving, the perceived power of food, food restraint capabilities, and other psychological symptoms were measured before the EFT intervention, immediately after the 4 weeks and then again 12-months later for both the experimental group and the follow-up group who received EFT at a later time period. Significant improvements in weight, body mass index, food cravings, subjective power of food, craving restraint and psychological coping for EFT participants from pretreatment to 12-month follow-up were reported and can be found in Stapleton, P., Sheldon, T., & Porter, B. (2012).

According to the authors “this paper isolates the depression symptom levels of participants, as well as levels of eight other psychological conditions. Significant decreases from pre- to post-treatment were found for depression, interpersonal sensitivity, obsessive-compulsivity, paranoid ideation, and somatization (P < 0.05). Significant decreases from pretreatment to 12-month follow-up were found for depression, interpersonal sensitivity, psychoticism, and hostility. The results point to the role depression, and other mental health conditions may play in the successful maintenance of weight loss.”