Effect of Emotional Freedom Technique and Diaphragmatic Breathing on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

• Sponsor: Soul Medicine Institute (Other)
• Overall Status: Completed
• CT.gov ID: NCT00514956
• Collaborator: (none)
• Enrollment: 12
• Locations: 2
• Duration (Months): 16
• Patients Per Site: 6
• Patients Per Site Per Month: 0.4

Study Details

Study Description

Brief Summary

A great many soldiers are returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Clinical experience with many people has shown the effectiveness of the techniques of Energy Psychology for rapidly alleviating PTSD symptoms. The study proposes to determine whether a very brief course of treatment (3 sessions) with a common form of Energy Psychology called Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) has an effect on the stress biochemistry of subjects, by measuring their levels of stress hormones (cortisol, DHEA) before and after treatment.

Condition or Disease	Intervention/Treatment	Phase
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic	Behavioral: Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT)	Phase 1

Detailed Description

The Purpose of the Research: The purpose of this study is to test the effectiveness of Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) versus Diaphragmatic Breathing in Reducing Post Traumatic Stress Disorders.

The Scientific or Scholarly Rationale: Clinical experience and anecdotal reports have demonstrated EFT to be effective for a wide range of behavioral disorders, including PTSD. However with the exception of several studies demonstrating the efficacy of EFT for the treatment of simple phobias, there have been no formal research studies in this area. It is the intention of this study to extend the phobia studies to the area of PTSD, and to determine what other conditions EFT might be effective in treating. Another intention of this study is to see whether, and to what degree, changes in psychological functioning (as measure by the PAI and TSI) are reflected in physiological markers such as HRV (Heart Rate Variability) and levels of cortisol and DHEA.

The Procedures to be Performed: Approximately 8 to 10 subjects would be randomly designated to either the experimental or Diaphragmatic Breathing control groups. There will be 4-5 subjects in the EFT experimental group and 4-5 subjects in the control Diaphragmatic Breathing group.

Study Design

• Study Type: Interventional
• Anticipated Enrollment: 12 participants
• Allocation: Randomized
• Intervention Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: Double (Participant, Outcomes Assessor)
• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Official Title: Effect of Emotional Freedom Technique and Diaphragmatic Breathing on PTSD
• Study Start Date: Sep 1, 2007
• Actual Primary Completion Date: Jan 1, 2009
• Actual Study Completion Date: Jan 1, 2009

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

1. Change in baseline cortisol and DHEA production [Six months]

Secondary Outcome Measures

1. Changes in scores on Trauma Assessment Inventory and other instruments normed for trauma [Six months]

Eligibility Criteria

Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 Years to 70 Years
• Sexes Eligible for Study: All
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Inclusion Criteria:

• PTSD

• Recent Service in Afghanistan or Iraq

• Good Health History

Exclusion Criteria:

• Illegal Drug Use

• Recent Physical Trauma

• Head injuries, concussions, amputees

• Mental health issues prior to entering military service

Contacts and Locations

Locations

	Site	City	State	Country	Postal Code
1	Marshall University Medical School	Charleston	West Virginia	United States
2	Marshall University, Joan Edwards School of Medicine	Huntington	West Virginia	United States	25701

Sponsors and Collaborators

• Soul Medicine Institute

Investigators

• Study Director: Dawson Church, PhD, Soul Medicine Institute

Study Documents (Full-Text)

None provided.

More Information

Additional Information:

• Web site to connect veterans to assistance using study protocol, and enrollment option for larger followup study.

Publications

None provided.

• ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00514956
• Other Study ID Numbers: PTSD-ACEP-SMI-MU-1
• First Posted: Aug 10, 2007
• Last Update Posted: Sep 22, 2009
• Last Verified: Sep 1, 2009

• Keywords provided by , ,: Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSD)
• Additional relevant MeSH terms: Stress Disorders, Traumatic; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic

Study Results

No Results Posted as of Sep 22, 2009