The Tapping Evidence Base
Anxiety · Depression · Sleep & Insomnia

The Effect of Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) on Psychosomatic Health: A Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Pilot Study

Wang, J., Yan, T. L., Zhaoyu, D. · Journal of CAM Research Progress · 2024

Controlled trial👥 30 participants⚖️ vs. no interventionPreliminary✓ Source-checked📍 China
In plain English. Thirty people with vague physical and emotional 'sub-health' complaints - the kind of persistent fatigue and unease that doesn't fit a specific diagnosis - tried a four-week EFT program. Their fatigue, anxiety, depression, and sleep quality scores all improved significantly compared to a no-intervention group. This is a small pilot study connecting EFT to traditional Chinese medicine's meridian theory, so it should be seen as exploratory.

What they found

30
people took part

After a 4-week EFT training regimen, fatigue, anxiety, depression, and sleep quality scores all decreased, with statistically significant changes compared to before training.

How the study worked

Who took partadults with psychosomatic sub-health states and psychosomatic diseases (n=30)
What they didIn a controlled trial, a tapping group was compared against a separate comparison group.
Compared withno intervention
Measured withFatigue Assessment Inventory, Self-rating Anxiety Scale, Self-rating Depression Scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality 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
Participants30 people
Populationadults with psychosomatic sub-health states and psychosomatic diseases
Comparison groupno intervention
Outcome measuresFatigue Assessment Inventory, Self-rating Anxiety Scale, Self-rating Depression Scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Scale
JournalJournal of CAM Research Progress
Year2024
CountryChina
LanguageEnglish
MethodEFT / tapping
Publication typeStudy / trial
Verification✓ Confirmed against the primary source

Read the original study →

Cite this study

APA

Wang, J., Yan, T. L., & Zhaoyu, D. (2024). The Effect of Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) on Psychosomatic Health: A Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Pilot Study. Journal of CAM Research Progress. https://doi.org/10.33790/jcrp1100116

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 30 participants WHAT THEY FOUND After a 4-week EFT training regimen,fatigue, anxiety, depression, and sleepquality scores all decreased, with… Controlled trial · 30 participants Wang · 2024 · evidence.thetappingsolution.com