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Phobias · Other Physical Conditions

The efficacy of Thought Field Therapy as a treatment modality for individuals diagnosed with blood-injection-injury phobia

Darby, D.W. · Dissertation Abstracts International · 2002

Outcome study👥 21 participantsPreliminary
In plain English. 21 people with a fear of needles received one hour of Thought Field Therapy and, a month later, reported significantly less distress about needles. There was no comparison group, so the finding is preliminary, and the dissertation itself recommends larger future studies.

What they found

21
people took part

A significant difference pre- and post-treatment was found on the SUDS after a single one-hour TFT session, with no significant difference by gender.

How the study worked

Who took part21 people diagnosed with blood-injection-injury (needle) phobia (n=21)
What they didParticipants received tapping and were measured before and after, without a separate comparison group.
Measured withFear Survey Schedule (FSS), Subjective Units of Distress Scale (SUDS)

💡 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 phobias 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
Participants21 people
Population21 people diagnosed with blood-injection-injury (needle) phobia
Outcome measuresFear Survey Schedule (FSS), Subjective Units of Distress Scale (SUDS)
JournalDissertation Abstracts International
Year2002
LanguageEnglish
MethodThought Field Therapy (related tapping method)
Publication typeDissertation
VerificationTranscribed from a peer-reviewed source; pending independent confirmation
Verification note. The original 2002 Dissertation Abstracts International entry itself was not independently located. A related 2012 published pilot study by Darby & Hartung with the same design (1-hr TFT session, needle phobia, SUDS/Fear Schedule Survey pre/post, own-controls) exists but reports N=20, not 21, and is dated 2012 rather than 2002 — flagged as a likely date/N conflation between the original dissertation and its later published version; N=21 and year=2002 left as originally recorded pending direct dissertation access.

Catalogued from a peer-reviewed index or meta-analysis. See the citation below to locate the original.

Cite this study

APA

Darby, D.W. (2002). The efficacy of Thought Field Therapy as a treatment modality for individuals diagnosed with blood-injection-injury phobia. Dissertation Abstracts International.

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 Phobias · Other Physical Conditions

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THE TAPPING EVIDENCE BASE Phobias 21 participants WHAT THEY FOUND A significant difference pre- and post-treatment was found on the SUDS after asingle one-hour TFT session, with no… Outcome study · 21 participants Darby · 2002 · evidence.thetappingsolution.com