The Effects of EFT on Long-Term Psychological Symptoms

March 4, 2015 Mental Health Problems

Original Rowe Study (2005) Evaluating the Effectiveness of Group Administered EFT in a Workshop Setting on Reducing Psychological Distress with 6 Month Follow-up

Citation: Rowe, J. (2005). The effects of EFT on long-term psychological symptoms. Counseling and Clinical Psychology Journal, 2(3):104. Click here to view Abstract http://goo.gl/9D9Jwi

Abstract

Previous research (Salas, 2000; Wells, et al., 2003), theoretical writings (Arenson, 2001, Callahan, 1985, Durlacher, 1994, Flint, 1999, Gallo, 2002, Hover-Kramer, 2002, Lake & Wells, 2003, Lambrou & Pratt, 2000, and Rowe, 2003), and many case reports have suggested that energy psychology is an effective psychotherapy treatment that improves psychological functioning. The purpose of the present study was to measure any changes in psychological functioning that might result from participation in an experiential Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) workshop and to examine the long-term effects. Using a time-series, within-subjects repeated measures design, 102 participants were tested with a short-form of the SCL-90-R (SA-45) 1 month before, at the beginning of the workshop, at the end of the workshop, 1 month after the workshop, and 6 months after the workshop. There was a statistically significant decrease (p < .0005) in all measures of psychological distress as measured by the SA-45 from pre-workshop to post-workshop which held up at the 6 month follow-up.

Editor’s Note

This early 2005 study, which has had 2 follow-up studies since, see Church, D., Brooks, A. (2010) and Palmer-Hoffman, J., & Brooks, A. (2011) was designed to measure changes in psychological functioning that may have resulted for 102 participants who attended an experiential EFT workshop (given by EFT founder Gary Craig) and the to examine longer term follow-up effects. The measurement scales used included the SA-45, performed 1 month before the conference, at the beginning and then end of the workshop. In addition, the same measurement instrument was again performed at intervals of 1 month and 6 months after the workshop. The results revealed that “There was a statistically significant decrease (p < .0005) in all measures of psychological distress as measured by the SA-45 from pre-workshop to post-workshop which held up at the 6 month follow-up.”