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

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

Controlled trial👥 22 participants⚖️ vs. no interventionModerate 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 versus no added support. The tapping group's anxiety, depression, and insomnia scores all dropped by a statistically real margin. This was a quasi-experimental design rather than a fully randomized trial, so treat the comparison as suggestive rather than definitive.

What they found

22
people took part

In a quasi-experimental trial of 22 COVID-19-positive patients in Pontianak, Indonesia, EFT was associated with significant reductions in anxiety, depression, and insomnia scores (p<0.05) compared with no added intervention.

How the study worked

Who took partPeople confirmed COVID-19 positive in isolation areas of Pontianak City, Indonesia (June 2021) (n=22)
What they didIn a controlled trial, a tapping group was compared against a separate comparison group.
Compared withno intervention
Measured withanxiety 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.

The full record

DesignControlled trial
Participants22 people
PopulationPeople confirmed COVID-19 positive in isolation areas of Pontianak City, Indonesia (June 2021)
Comparison groupno intervention
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

Share this study

A ready-made graphic — right-click or long-press to save the image.

Show shareable card
THE TAPPING EVIDENCE BASE Anxiety 22 participants WHAT THEY FOUND In a quasi-experimental trial of 22COVID-19-positive patients in Pontianak,Indonesia, EFT was associated with… Controlled trial · 22 participants Tambunan · 2022 · evidence.thetappingsolution.com