Published in Indonesian ; the title shown is a translation, and the original-language title appears in the citation below . The plain-English summary was written for this directory from the original-language paper.
Etika, A., et al. · NurseLine Journal · 2016
30 elderly Indonesian adults with mild-to-moderate depression were randomized to individual SEFT (n=15, 4 sessions over 4 weeks) or usual care (n=15); the trial is listed in Seok & Kim (2024) Table 1 with a moderate baseline depression level, using the Geriatric Depression Scale as the outcome.
Picture an older adult in Indonesia, isolated and depressed, for whom transportation to a mental health clinic is a real barrier and stigma around psychiatric care runs deep. If a spiritually-framed practice like SEFT continues to ease depression in this population, it could give community health workers and family caregivers a tool taught once and then used at home indefinitely, without needing to frame it as formal 'therapy' or arrange ongoing visits to a clinic.
For isolated, depressed older adults, the interesting next step is checking whether the mood improvement corresponds with objective markers of aging-related stress — cortisol rhythm or inflammatory markers already linked to late-life depression — rather than relying on the Geriatric Depression Scale alone. Testing whether community health workers or family caregivers, not clinicians, can deliver and sustain this at home would also matter in a setting where stigma and distance both limit access to formal care.
| Design | Randomized trial |
|---|---|
| Participants | 30 people |
| Population | Elderly adults in Indonesia with mild-to-moderate depression |
| Comparison group | treatment as usual |
| Outcome measures | Geriatric Depression Scale |
| Journal | NurseLine Journal |
| Year | 2016 |
| Country | Indonesia |
| Language | Indonesian |
| Method | SEFT (related Tapping method) |
| Publication type | Study / trial |
| Verification | Transcribed from a peer-reviewed source; pending independent confirmation |
Etika, A., & et al. (2016). Spiritual Emotional Freedom Technique (SEFT) Intervention Decreases Elderly Depression. NurseLine 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
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