The Tapping Evidence Base
Anxiety · Depression

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 participants Preliminary ✓ 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
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…

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 part clients accessing a Matrix Reimprinting/EFT service within the UK National Health Service, Sandwell (n=24)
What they did Participants received tapping and were measured before and after, without a separate comparison group.
Measured with CORE-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