SynthesisEuropean archives of psychiatry and clinical neuroscience2025
Effectiveness of Emotional Freedom Techniques in Alleviating Symptoms Associated with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.
Synthesis in European archives of psychiatry and clinical neuroscience, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Theoretical and clinical insights into the psychological mechanisms and active ingredients of emotional freedom techniques.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- How tapping works: physiological and psychological mechanisms in energy psychology.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
11 authors.
Funding
Abstract
introductionEnergy psychology, particularly emotional freedom techniques (EFT), has gained attention as a non-pharmacological treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We conducted a meta-analysis to assess the efficacy of EFT in alleviating PTSD symptoms.
methodsThis meta-analysis follows PRISMA guidelines. We conducted a literature search on PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, Web of Science, Airiti Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov for relevant studies published before December 31, 2024.
resultsThe meta-analysis included 13 studies involving 621 patients. Our findings showed that EFT significantly improved PTSD symptoms compared to the baseline (standardized mean difference [SMD]: - 0.901; 95% confidence intervals [CI]: - 1.130- - 0.671; Hedge's g: -0.865) and was more effective than the control group (SMD: - 2.106; 95% CI: - 2.759- - 1.452; Hedge's g: -2.062). Furthermore, anxiety (SMD: - 0.591; 95% CI: - 0.726- - 0.456; Hedge's g: -0.567) and depression (SMD: - 0.516; 95% CI: - 0.654- - 0.377; Hedge's g: -0.495) scores decreased significantly compared to the baseline. Notably, these treatment effects were sustained for up to three months for PTSD severity (SMD: - 0.757; 95% CI: - 0.967- - 0.547; Hedge's g: -0.723), anxiety (SMD: - 0.522; 95% CI: - 0.683- - 0.361; Hedge's g: -0.498), and depression (SMD: - 0.420; 95% CI: - 0.542- - 0.298; Hedge's g: -0.402). The subgroup analysis of veterans revealed that EFT effectively reduced PTSD symptoms (SMD: - 1.159; 95% CI: - 1.441- - 0.877; Hedge's g: -1.102), anxiety (SMD: - 0.715; 95% CI: - 0.943- -0.487; Hedge's g: -0.676), and depression (SMD: - 0.627; 95% CI: - 0.803- - 0.451; Hedge's g: -0.597).
conclusionsEFT effectively treated PTSD and reduced comorbid symptoms, including anxiety and depression. Moreover, its therapeutic effect could be applied in veteran populations and sustained for up to three months.
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Registered trials
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