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