Thought Field Therapy (TFT) as a Treatment for Anxiety Symptoms: A Randomized Controlled Trial. 


Author: Irgens A, Dammen T, Nysæter TE, Hoffart A.

Affiliation: DPS Aust-Agder, Sorlandet sykehus, Arendal, Norway. Electronic address: audun.irgens@sshf.no. 
Conference/Journal: Explore (NY).
Date published: 2012 Nov
Other:
 Volume ID: 8   ,  Issue ID: 6   ,  Pages: 331-8   ,  Special Notes: doi: 10.1016/j.explore.2012.08.002.   ,  Word Count: 233  
    OBJECTIVE:

To investigate whether thought field therapy (TFT) has an impact on anxiety symptoms in patients with a variety of anxiety disorders.

DESIGN:

Forty-five patients were randomized to either TFT (n = 23) or a waiting list (n = 22) condition. The wait-list group was reassessed and compared with the TFT group two and a half months after the initial evaluation. After the reassessment, the wait-list patients received treatment with TFT. All 45 patients were followed up one to two weeks after TFT treatment, as well as at three and 12 months after treatment.

SUBJECTS:

Patients with an anxiety disorder, mostly outpatients.

INTERVENTION:

TFT aims to influence the body's bioenergy field by tapping on specific points along energy meridians, thereby relieving anxiety and other symptoms.

OUTCOME MEASURES:

Symptom Checklist 90-Revised, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Sheehan Disability Scale.

RESULTS:

Repeated-measures analysis of variance was used to compare the TFT and the wait-list group. The TFT group had a significantly better outcome on two measures of anxiety and one measure of function. Follow-up data for all patients taken together showed a significant decrease in all symptoms during the one to two weeks between the pretreatment and the post-treatment assessments. The significant improvement seen after treatment was maintained at the three- and 12-month assessments.

CONCLUSIONS:

The results suggest that TFT may have an enduring anxiety-reducing effect. Registration number NCT00202709, http://Clinical.Trials.gov.

Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

PMID: 23141789