Baghini, A., Mohammadtehrani, H., Behbodi, M., Kiamanesh, A.R. · Quarterly of Applied Psychology · 2020
State anxiety significantly reduced in all three treatment groups; EMDR was more effective on state anxiety than the other two interventions (p=0.015); effects remained stable at 2-month follow-up.
If tapping keeps holding its own against established therapies like CBT for PTSD-related anxiety, it could mean trauma survivors in regions with few EMDR- or CBT-trained clinicians get access to a comparably effective, faster-to-train option. And because tapping is the one of the three that's genuinely self-administered once learned, those survivors wouldn't remain dependent on that scarce clinician for every future flare-up.
Since EMDR already edged out tapping here, the more interesting question is why — does EMDR's advantage show up in objective markers like heart-rate variability or amygdala reactivity on fMRI, or is it purely in self-reported anxiety scores? Testing tapping combined with EMDR or CBT, rather than only against them, could reveal whether the techniques' mechanisms are complementary. A dose-response comparison, giving EFT the same number of sessions as the other arms, would also clarify whether the gap reflects the technique itself or simply less treatment time.
| Design | Controlled trial |
|---|---|
| Participants | 60 people |
| Population | male patients with PTSD referred to Kerman Neurology and Psychiatry Hospital |
| Comparison group | EMDR (group 1), CBT (group 2), EFT (group 3), each n=15, vs control |
| Outcome measures | Spielberger, Gorsuch, Lushene, Vagg & Jacobs's Anxiety Inventory (state and trait) |
| Journal | Quarterly of Applied Psychology |
| Year | 2020 |
| Country | Iran |
| Language | English |
| Method | EFT / tapping |
| Publication type | Study / trial |
| Verification | ✓ Confirmed against the primary source |
Baghini, A., Mohammadtehrani, H., Behbodi, M., & Kiamanesh, A.R. (2020). Comparison of effectiveness of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Emotional Freedom Technique in reducing anxiety in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder. Quarterly of Applied Psychology.
This record is part of the Tapping Evidence Base — an openly-sourced, fully-referenced directory of the research on EFT/tapping. Explore more studies on PTSD & Trauma · Other Physical Conditions
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