Effect of EFT Tapping on Anxiety and Quality of Life

Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) as a new therapeutic technique in energy psychology has positive effects on psychological and physiological symptoms, and quality of life. It has deep roots in modern psychology as well as the ancient science of acupuncture. It is also called tapping because EFT involves tapping with your fingertips on acupoints on your body. Studies were conducted to understand the effect of EFT Tapping on anxiety and quality of life in adults. Ethical approval was secured. Clients over the age of 20 years and staying in the Delhi NCR area were invited to participate in a two-week intervention program. At the start and end of their intervention, participants were asked to complete STAT and WHOQOL-BREF questionnaires. Sixty-five participants gave consent, 61 completed questionnaires, and 46 fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The range in age was 20-75 years. The researcher conducted three tapping sessions in a time span of two weeks. The main presenting conditions were anxiety. STAT and WHOQOL-BREF scores showed both emotionally and statistically significant improvements after the intervention. Statistically there was significant improvement for anxiety and quality of life (all p < 0.001). Mean anxiety scores improved from 8.3250 (high) at start to 6.9750 (average). Mean quality of life scores improved from 65.5313 at start to 67.1125 (higher mean shows better quality of life) at end (SD = 6.81, p < 0.001). Improvements were seen in all participants. Despite the limited sample size and other limitations, significant improvements were shown. The results support the potential of EFT as a cost-effective intervention to reduce anxiety and thereby help improve quality of life. However, there were few data available comparing EFT to standard-of-care treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapy, and further research is needed to establish the relative efficacy of EFT to established protocols.