The Tapping Evidence Base
PTSD & Trauma · Other Physical Conditions

The impact of EFT and matrix reimprinting on the civilian survivors of war in Bosnia: A pilot study

Boath, E., Stewart, A., Rolling, C. · Current Research in Psychology · 2014

Outcome study👥 18 participantsPreliminary✓ Source-checked📍 Bosnia and Herzegovina
In plain English. 18 Bosnian war civilian survivors tried Matrix Reimprinting, a technique that builds on EFT, and their PTSD symptom scores dropped significantly and stayed lower a month later. This small pilot has no comparison group, so the authors themselves call for further controlled studies.

What they found

18
people took part

Significant reduction in mean PCL-C scores from baseline to immediately post-intervention (p=0.009) and again at 4-week follow-up (p=0.005), with the immediate effect size sustained at follow-up.

How the study worked

Who took partcivilian survivors of the Bosnian war accessing Healing Hands Network Centres in Sarajevo and Hadzici (n=18)
What they didParticipants received tapping and were measured before and after, without a separate comparison group.
Measured withmodified PTSD Checklist-Civilian Checklist (PCL-C)

💡 Where this could help

If findings like these hold up in larger trials, the promise is simple: a low-cost, self-administered tool that could reach people struggling with PTSD & trauma who can't easily access traditional care — at home, between appointments, or where there aren't enough clinicians to go around.

🔬 What to study next

The natural next step: a head-to-head trial against an established treatment like CBT, and a larger sample to confirm the effect.

The full record

DesignOutcome study
Participants18 people
Populationcivilian survivors of the Bosnian war accessing Healing Hands Network Centres in Sarajevo and Hadzici
Outcome measuresmodified PTSD Checklist-Civilian Checklist (PCL-C)
JournalCurrent Research in Psychology
Year2014
CountryBosnia and Herzegovina
LanguageEnglish
MethodEFT / tapping
Publication typeStudy / trial
Verification✓ Confirmed against the primary source

Read the original study →

Cite this study

APA

Boath, E., Stewart, A., & Rolling, C. (2014). The impact of EFT and matrix reimprinting on the civilian survivors of war in Bosnia: A pilot study. Current Research in Psychology. https://doi.org/10.3844/crpsp.2014.64.72

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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THE TAPPING EVIDENCE BASE PTSD & Trauma 18 participants WHAT THEY FOUND Significant reduction in mean PCL-C scoresfrom baseline to immediately post-intervention (p=0.009) and again at… Outcome study · 18 participants Boath · 2014 · evidence.thetappingsolution.com