The Tapping Evidence Base
PTSD & Trauma · Trauma (other)

Treatment of PTSD in Rwandan Child Genocide Survivors Using Thought Field Therapy

Sakai, C., Connolly, S., Oas, P. · International Journal of Emergency Mental Health · 2010

Outcome study👥 50 participantsPreliminary✓ Source-checked📍 Rwanda
In plain English. Fifty Rwandan orphans still carrying PTSD symptoms 12 years after the genocide got one session of tapping therapy. Nearly all of them had scored above the PTSD cutoff beforehand; afterward, almost none did by their caregivers' ratings, and about four in five no longer did by their own. It's a single-session, uncontrolled study, so treat it as an early signal rather than definitive proof.

What they found

50
people took part

After a single Thought Field Therapy session, caregiver-rated PTSD-cutoff prevalence dropped from 100% to 6% and self-rated prevalence from 72% to 18% (p < .0001 on both measures).

How the study worked

Who took partorphaned adolescents with PTSD 12 years after the Rwandan genocide (n=50)
What they didParticipants received tapping and were measured before and after, without a separate comparison group.
Measured withPTSD checklist (caregiver-rated), PTSD checklist (self-rated)

💡 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 randomized controlled design.

The full record

DesignOutcome study
Participants50 people
Populationorphaned adolescents with PTSD 12 years after the Rwandan genocide
Outcome measuresPTSD checklist (caregiver-rated), PTSD checklist (self-rated)
JournalInternational Journal of Emergency Mental Health
Year2010
CountryRwanda
LanguageEnglish
MethodThought Field Therapy (related tapping method)
Publication typeStudy / trial
Verification✓ Confirmed against the primary source

Read the original study →

Cite this study

APA

Sakai, C., Connolly, S., & Oas, P. (2010). Treatment of PTSD in Rwandan Child Genocide Survivors Using Thought Field Therapy. International Journal of Emergency Mental Health.

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 · Trauma (other)

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THE TAPPING EVIDENCE BASE PTSD & Trauma 50 participants WHAT THEY FOUND After a single Thought Field Therapysession, caregiver-rated PTSD-cutoffprevalence dropped from 100% to 6% and… Outcome study · 50 participants Sakai · 2010 · evidence.thetappingsolution.com