Chatwin, H., Stapleton, P., Porter, B., Devine, S., Sheldon, T. · Integrative Medicine: A Clinician's Journal · 2016
Depression improved significantly in both groups (CBT at post-test p=.032; EFT at 3-month follow-up p=.003 and 6-month p=.021), but neither EFT nor CBT produced a statistically significant reduction in anxiety scores on the DASS-21 from pre- to post-treatment.
If tapping keeps matching CBT's ability to ease depression over time, even if the improvement shows up somewhat later, it could give people who don't respond well to CBT's structured pace another route to the same destination — useful for anyone who's tried talk therapy and found it wasn't quite the right fit. Because tapping is self-taught and free to keep using, that alternative route wouldn't require finding a new therapist or paying for another course of sessions to keep progressing.
Since depression improved on a delayed timeline relative to CBT, a valuable next study would track cortisol and inflammatory markers across that same timeline, to see whether tapping's slower-to-emerge depression benefit corresponds with a biological recovery curve distinct from CBT's, rather than assuming the two techniques work through the same pathway at different speeds. A larger sample, powered to detect the anxiety effect this pilot missed, would also help clarify whether tapping's anxiety benefit is real but underpowered here or genuinely weaker than its depression effect.
| Design | Randomized trial |
|---|---|
| Participants | 10 people |
| Population | community adults screening positive for major depressive disorder, with common comorbid anxiety |
| Comparison group | CBT (active); plus a non-randomized community reference sample |
| Outcome measures | MINI 6.0, BDI-II, DASS-21 (anxiety subscale) |
| Journal | Integrative Medicine: A Clinician's Journal |
| Year | 2016 |
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
| Method | EFT / tapping |
| Publication type | Study / trial |
| Verification | ✓ Confirmed against the primary source |
Chatwin, H., Stapleton, P., Porter, B., Devine, S., & Sheldon, T. (2016). The Effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Emotional Freedom Techniques in Reducing Depression and Anxiety Among Adults: A Pilot Study. Integrative Medicine: A Clinician's Journal.
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 Depression · Anxiety
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