The Tapping Evidence Base
Cancer & Serious Illness · Anxiety

Effect of Spiritual Emotional Freedom Technique (SEFT) on the decrease in anxiety levels in cancer patients

Hasal, D. M., Muriyati, Alfira, N. · Comprehensive Health Care · 2021

Outcome study👥 15 participantsPreliminary✓ Source-checked📍 Indonesia
In plain English. Fifteen cancer patients at an Indonesian clinic tried a spiritually-oriented form of EFT for their anxiety about the disease. Afterward, the share reporting only mild anxiety jumped to over 93%, a statistically significant shift. It's a very small, uncontrolled single-group study, so it should be read as an early signal.

What they found

15
people took part

The proportion of respondents with average anxiety fell and lightweight/mild anxiety rose to 93.3% after SEFT therapy, with a Wilcoxon test showing a significant effect (p = 0.002).

How the study worked

Who took partcancer patients at Griya Al-Afiat clinic (n=15)
What they didParticipants received tapping and were measured before and after, without a separate comparison group.
Measured withanxiety level rating

💡 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 cancer & serious illness 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
Participants15 people
Populationcancer patients at Griya Al-Afiat clinic
Outcome measuresanxiety level rating
JournalComprehensive Health Care
Year2021
CountryIndonesia
LanguageIndonesian
MethodEFT / tapping
Publication typeStudy / trial
Verification✓ Confirmed against the primary source

Read the original study →

Cite this study

APA

Hasal, D. M., Muriyati, & Alfira, N. (2021). Effect of Spiritual Emotional Freedom Technique (SEFT) on the decrease in anxiety levels in cancer patients. Comprehensive Health Care. https://doi.org/10.37362/jch.v5i2.596

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 Cancer & Serious Illness · Anxiety

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THE TAPPING EVIDENCE BASE Cancer & Serious Illness 15 participants WHAT THEY FOUND The proportion of respondents with averageanxiety fell and lightweight/mild anxietyrose to 93.3% after SEFT… Outcome study · 15 participants Hasal · 2021 · evidence.thetappingsolution.com