Citation (APA Style): Gurret, J-M., Caufour, C., Palmer-Hoffman, J., & Church, D. (2012). Post-earthquake rehabilitation of clinical PTSD in Haitian seminarians. Energy Psychology: Theory, Research, and Treatment, 4(2), 33-40.
Abstract
Seventy-seven male Haitian seminarians following the 2010 earthquake were assessed for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) using the PTSD Checklist (PCL). Forty-eight (62%) exhibited scores in the clinical range (>49). The mean score of the entire sample was 54. Participants received 2 days of instruction in Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT).
Following the EFT training, 0% of participants scored in the clinical range on the PCL. A paired t-test analysis of the pre—post PCL scores indicated a statistically significant decrease (p < .001), to a mean of 27 at the posttest. Posttest PCL scores decreased an average of 72%, ranging between a 21% reduction to a 100% reduction in symptom severity. These results are consistent with other published reports of EFT’s efficacy in treating PTSD symptoms in traumatized populations, such as war veterans and genocide survivors.
Keywords: Haiti, posttraumatic stress disorder, PTSD, EFT, Emotional Freedom Techniques