The Tapping Evidence Base
Anxiety · Depression · Sleep & Insomnia

EFT (emotional freedom technique) as an alternative therapy to reduce anxiety disorders and depression in people who are positive covid-19

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.

Tambunan, M.B., Suwarni, L., Setiawati, L., Mardjan, M. · Psikostudia: Jurnal Psikologi · 2022

Outcome study 👥 22 participants ⚖️ vs. none (single-arm pre/post) Moderate rigor ✓ Source-checked 📍 Indonesia
In plain English. Twenty-two people isolating with confirmed COVID-19 in an Indonesian city took part in a tapping program. Their anxiety, depression, and insomnia scores all dropped by a statistically significant margin from before to after. This was a single-arm study with no comparison group, so treat it as suggestive rather than definitive.

What they found

22
Twenty-two people isolating with confirmed COVID-19 in an Indonesian city took part in a tapping program.

In a single-arm pre/post study of 22 COVID-19-positive patients in Pontianak, Indonesia, EFT was associated with significant reductions in anxiety, depression, and insomnia scores (p<0.05) from before to after.

How the study worked

Who took part People confirmed COVID-19 positive in isolation areas of Pontianak City, Indonesia (June 2021) (n=22)
What they did Participants received tapping and were measured before and after, without a separate comparison group.
Compared with none (single-arm pre/post)
Measured with anxiety scale, depression scale, insomnia scale

💡 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 larger sample to confirm the effect, and a randomized controlled design.

The full record

DesignOutcome study
Participants22 people
PopulationPeople confirmed COVID-19 positive in isolation areas of Pontianak City, Indonesia (June 2021)
Comparison groupnone (single-arm pre/post)
Outcome measuresanxiety scale, depression scale, insomnia scale
JournalPsikostudia: Jurnal Psikologi
Year2022
CountryIndonesia
LanguageIndonesian
MethodEFT / Tapping
Publication typeStudy / trial
Verification✓ Confirmed against the primary source

Read the original study →

Cite this study

APA

Tambunan, M.B., Suwarni, L., Setiawati, L., & Mardjan, M. (2022). EFT (emotional freedom technique) as an alternative therapy to reduce anxiety disorders and depression in people who are positive covid-19. Psikostudia: Jurnal Psikologi. https://doi.org/10.30872/psikostudia.v11i1.7104

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 · Sleep & Insomnia

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THE TAPPING EVIDENCE BASE Anxiety 22 participants WHAT THEY FOUND In a single-arm pre/post study of 22COVID-19-positive patients in Pontianak,Indonesia, EFT was associated with… Outcome study · 22 participants Tambunan · 2022 · evidence.thetappingsolution.com