The Tapping Evidence Base
Anxiety · Depression · Multiple Conditions

Can Matrix Reimprinting using EFT be effective in the treatment of emotional conditions in a public health setting? Results of a UK pilot study

Stewart, A., Boath, E., Carryer, A., Walton, I., Hill, L., Phillips, D. et al. · Energy Psychology: Theory, Research, and Treatment · 2013

Outcome study👥 24 participantsPreliminary✓ Source-checked📍 United Kingdom
In plain English. Twenty-four clients in a UK public health clinic tried Matrix Reimprinting, an EFT-based technique, for various emotional conditions over an average of eight sessions. Every client showed clinical improvement, with distress dropping by roughly half and self-esteem rising by nearly as much. This is genuine NHS pilot data without a control group, so larger studies are the natural next step the authors themselves call for.

What they found

24
people took part

Statistically and clinically significant improvements were found for CORE-10 (52% change, p<.001), Rosenberg Self-Esteem (46% change, p<.001), HADS Anxiety (35% change, p=.007), and HADS total score (34% change, p=.011).

How the study worked

Who took partclients accessing a Matrix Reimprinting/EFT service within the UK National Health Service, Sandwell (n=24)
What they didParticipants received tapping and were measured before and after, without a separate comparison group.
Measured withCORE-10, Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (WEMWBS), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS)

💡 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 anxiety 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
Participants24 people
Populationclients accessing a Matrix Reimprinting/EFT service within the UK National Health Service, Sandwell
Outcome measuresCORE-10, Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (WEMWBS), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS)
JournalEnergy Psychology: Theory, Research, and Treatment
Year2013
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
MethodEFT / tapping
Publication typeStudy / trial
Verification✓ Confirmed against the primary source

Read the original study →

Cite this study

APA

Stewart, A., Boath, E., Carryer, A., Walton, I., Hill, L., Phillips, D., & Dawson, K. (2013). Can Matrix Reimprinting using EFT be effective in the treatment of emotional conditions in a public health setting? Results of a UK pilot study. Energy Psychology: Theory, Research, and Treatment. https://doi.org/10.9769/EPJ.2013.5.1.AS

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 Anxiety · Depression

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THE TAPPING EVIDENCE BASE Anxiety 24 participants WHAT THEY FOUND Statistically and clinically significantimprovements were found for CORE-10 (52%change, p<.001), Rosenberg… Outcome study · 24 participants Stewart · 2013 · evidence.thetappingsolution.com