Clinical Emotional Freedom Technique for Vision Impairment and Psychological Issues: A randomised online trial
Efficacy of Clinical EFT for Symptom Management in Vision Impairment and Psychological Issues: A randomised online trial
Bond University
100 participants
Jun 11, 2024
Interventional
Conditions
Summary
Vision impairment (VI) is considered to be a serious public health issue, affecting more than 4 million people aged at least 40 years in the United States and at least 2.2 billion people worldwide. It is also estimated that over 13 million Australians have one or more chronic (long-term) eye conditions or VI, according to self-reported data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). VI has a profound effect on overall levels of health related quality of life (HRQOL) in the individuals who suffer from it, and a significant association between VI and psychological issues such as anxiety and depression has been found. Although there is quite a robust association found in the literature regarding VI and the development of depression, anxiety remains an understudied topic as an associated psychological aspect of VI. Some studies have found that there is indeed a positive association between the incidence of VI and the development of anxiety, however other studies do not find a relationship. The aim of this study is to offer participants an 8-week self-directed psychological intervention program, which may impact psychological concerns such as anxiety and depression. An initial 2006 (unpublished) 8-week trial of Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) for eyesight conditions and anxiety found in a sample of 120 adult volunteers, there was a significant difference between men and women in terms of overall eyesight improvement (p=.022; Look, 2006). This research will also explore the psychological issues associated with VI in adults.
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria9
- must have moderate visual impairment but not poor (see exclusion)
- must be between the ages of 18-80 years of age,
- all genders are welcomed,
- all nationalities are invited,
- speak English,
- have access to the internet for the online videos and surveys,
- be able to watch the videos online and follow the self-applied intervention
- be able to give informed consent and participate in the trial over 8 weeks,
- participants must have either 1) an official have a medical diagnosis of an eye condition or disease such as cataracts, age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, cytomegalovirus retinitis, which causes them to experience VI or 2) self reported vision loss or self reported problems with their eyesight from any cause.
Exclusion Criteria1
- Participants who have complete loss of sight or very low vision may find they cannot watch the videos and/or complete the surveys with ease.
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Interventions
Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) is a type of exposure therapy which includes a somatic and cognitive component for altering the cognitive, behavioural, and neurochemical foundations of psychological problems. Likened to a version of psychological acupuncture but without the use of fine needles, EFT combines components of traditional approaches (including cognitive and exposure therapy) with acupoint stimulation. By using a tapping technique (with two fingers) to stimulate acupressure points on the face and upper body, and incorporating a cognitive element that involves the individual states his/her concern aloud as he/she performs the tapping. Participants will watch a video course online of the EFT process over 8 weeks (one video per week), and follow along with the EFT technique for that week's topic. The topics will relate to psychological issues that have been shown to affect vision impairment. It will take 15 minutes and can be done privately at home, online and anonymously. The video for the week can be watched as many times as the person likes. Participants will be randomly allocated to the EFT intervention or waitlist control group via computer randomisation. They will complete the pre and post measure package online before and after the 8 week course. The 8 topics presented in the trial are: week 1 - introduction to EFT and the topic of resistance 2 - fear 3 - guilt 4 - anger 5 - anxiety 6 - beliefs about eyesight and VI 7 - resentment 8 - remaining blocks to clear vision and conclusion Participants will only be asked to watch the video once during the week and apply the intervention - they are not required to do this more than once a week. We will be able to track through the website data, the amount of time spent on the video, and how many times the watched it (eg they can rewind and watch again). The are unable to move forward in the program until 7 days after the first video - they are released every 7 days, although the previous videos are there still - we will be able to see if they revisit them through website data.
Locations(3)
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ACTRN12624000779572