title: The effect of emotional freedom techniques on stress biochemistry: a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: This study examined the changes in cortisol levels and psychological distress symptoms of 83 nonclinical subjects receiving a single hour long intervention. Subjects were randomly assigned to either an emotional freedom technique (EFT) group, a psychotherapy group receiving a supportive interviews (SI), or a no treatment (NT) group. Salivary cortisol assays were performed immediately before and 30 minutes after the intervention. Psychological distress symptoms were assessed using the symptom assessment-45. The EFT group showed statistically significant improvements in anxiety (-58.34%, p < 0.05), depression (-49.33%, p < 0.002), the overall severity of symptoms (-50.5%, p < 0.001), and symptom breadth (-41.93%, p < 0.001). The EFT group experienced a significant decrease in cortisol level (-24.39%; SE, 2.62) compared with the decrease observed in the SI (-14.25%; SE, 2.61) and NT (-14.44%; SE, 2.67) groups (p < 0.03). The decrease in cortisol levels in the EFT group mirrored the observed improvement in psychological distress.
authors.affiliation: Foundation for Epigenetic Medicine, Fulton, CA 95439, USA. dawson@soulmedicine.net
authors.forename: Dawson
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Church
authors.forename: Garret
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yount
authors.forename: Audrey J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Brooks
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001007:Anxiety / Q000378:metabolism; D003863:Depression / Q000378:metabolism; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011613:Psychotherapy; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D006854:Hydrocortisone