Spiritual Emotional Freedom Therapy (SEFT) Enhances Memory and Daily Function in Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Authors

  • Samira Rafiq PhD Scholar, Department of Applied Psychology, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur, Punjab, Pakistan.
  • Dr. Arslan Khalid Assistant Professor, Department of Applied Psychology, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur, Punjab, Pakistan.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.62843/jssr.v6i4.771

Keywords:

Spiritual Emotional Freedom Therapy, Subjective Cognitive Decline, Daily Functioning

Abstract

The age of older is one whereby a person will undergo numerous decline in their capacities. Overall, this aging process may present a number of issues, like physically, biologically, mentally, socially and economically. The aging process usually contributes to cognitive impairment, which, in turn, affects the functioning of the elderly. Thus, the purpose of the given study was to research the effectiveness of spiritual emotional therapy on the cognitive status of the elderly. This was experimental randomized controlled trial study consisting experimental and control groups of 20 elderly with Purposive sampling was used. The Subjective Cognitive Decline Questionnaire (SCD-Q9) was used for measurement of cognitive functioning. There were eight therapy sessions (45-60 minutes)  were conducted twice in a week. Data were collected and analyses were performed with SPSS v27 and Jamovi v2.6.6. The findings suggested that Spiritual Emotional Freedom Therapy (SEFT) is an effective non-pharmacological intervention for enhancing memory, improving daily functioning, and reducing subjective cognitive decline in older adults. Implementing SEFT within community and clinical settings could provide a culturally appropriate strategy for promoting cognitive health among aging populations in Pakistan.

Author Biography

  • Dr. Arslan Khalid, Assistant Professor, Department of Applied Psychology, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur, Punjab, Pakistan.

    Corresponding Author: arslan.khalid@iub.edu.pk

References

Armstrong, N. M., An, Y., Shin, J. J., Williams, O. A., Doshi, J., Erus, G., Davatzikos, C., Ferrucci, L., Beason-Held, L. L., & Resnick, S. M. (2020). Associations between cognitive and brain volume changes in cognitively normal older adults. NeuroImage, 223, Article 117289. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117289

Bach, D., Groesbeck, G., Stapleton, P., Sims, R., Blickheuser, K., & Church, D. (2019). Clinical EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) improves multiple physiological markers of health. Journal of Evidence-Based Integrative Medicine, 24, 2515690X18823691. https://doi.org/10.1177/2515690X18823691

Barsalou, L. W. (2020). Challenges and opportunities for grounding cognition. J Cogn, 3(1), 31. https://doi.org/10.5334/joc.116

Bopp, K. L., & Verhaeghen, P. (2020). Aging and n-back performance: A meta-analysis. The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, 75(2), 229–240. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gby024

Britt, K. C., Boateng, A. C. O., Zhao, H., Ezeokonkwo, F. C., Federwitz, C., & Epps, F. (2023). Spiritual needs of older adults living with dementia: An integrative review. Healthcare, 11(9), Article 1326. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11091326

Bugaiska, A., & Thibaut, J.-P. (2015). Analogical reasoning and aging: The processing speed and inhibition hypothesis. Aging, Neuropsychology, and Cognition, 22(3), 340–356. https://doi.org/10.1080/13825585.2014.942806

Can Oz, Y., Duran, S., & Dogan, K. (2022). The meaning and role of spirituality for older adults: A qualitative study. Journal of Religion and Health, 61(2), 1490–1504. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-021-01258-x

Chen, R., Zhao, B., Huang, J., Zhang, M., Wang, Y., Fu, J., Liang, H., & Zhan, H. (2024). The effects of different exercise interventions on patients with subjective cognitive decline: A systematic review and network meta-analysis. The Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease, 11(3), 620–631. https://doi.org/10.14283/jpad.2024.65

Church, D. (2013). Clinical EFT as an evidence-based practice for the treatment of psychological and physiological conditions. Psychology, 4(8), 645–654. https://doi.org/10.4236/psych.2013.48092

Church, D., Stapleton, P., Vasudevan, A., & O'Keefe, T. (2022). Clinical EFT as an evidence-based practice for the treatment of psychological and physiological conditions: A systematic review. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, Article 951451. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.951451

Coelho-Júnior, H. J., Calvani, R., Panza, F., Allegri, R. F., Picca, A., Marzetti, E., & Alves, V. P. (2022). Religiosity/spirituality and mental health in older adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. Frontiers in Medicine, 9, Article 877213. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2022.877213

Craig, G., & Fowlie, A. (1995). Emotional Freedom Techniques.

Dincer, B., & Inangil, D. (2021). The effect of Emotional Freedom Techniques on nurses' stress, anxiety, and burnout levels during the COVID-19 pandemic: A randomized controlled trial. EXPLORE, 17(2), 109–114. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.explore.2020.11.012

Eakman, A. M. (2024). Person factors: Meaning, sensemaking, and spirituality. In Occupational Therapy (pp. 313–331). Routledge.

Hertzog, C., & Dunlosky, J. (2012). Metacognitive approaches can promote transfer of training: Comment on McDaniel and Bugg. Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition, 1(1), 61–63. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jarmac.2012.01.003

Jessen, F. (2014). Subjective and objective cognitive decline at the pre-dementia stage of Alzheimer’s disease. European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience, 264(Suppl. 1), S3–S7. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00406-014-0539-z

Jessen, F., Amariglio, R. E., Buckley, R. F., van der Flier, W. M., Han, Y., Molinuevo, J. L., Rabin, L., Rentz, D. M., Rodriguez-Gomez, O., Saykin, A. J., Sikkes, S. A. M., Smart, C. M., Wolfsgruber, S., & Wagner, M. (2020). The characterisation of subjective cognitive decline. The Lancet Neurology, 19(3), 271–278. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1474-4422(19)30368-0

Jia, J., Zhao, T., Liu, Z., Liang, Y., Li, F., Li, Y., Liu, W., Li, F., Shi, S., & Zhou, C. (2023). Association between healthy lifestyle and memory decline in older adults: 10-year population-based prospective cohort study. BMJ, 380, e072691. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2022-072691

Khalsa, D. S., & Newberg, A. B. (2021). Spiritual fitness: A new dimension in Alzheimer’s disease prevention. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, 80(2), 505–519. https://doi.org/10.3233/JAD-201433

Mitchell, A. J., Beaumont, H., Ferguson, D., Yadegarfar, M., & Stubbs, B. (2014). Risk of dementia and mild cognitive impairment in older people with subjective memory complaints: Meta-analysis. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 130(6), 439–451. https://doi.org/10.1111/acps.12336

Mohanty, M., & Kumar, P. (2023). Multi-component interventions in older adults having subjective cognitive decline (SCD): A review article. Geriatrics, 8(1), Article 5. https://doi.org/10.3390/geriatrics8010005

Munro, C. E., Boyle, R., Chen, X., Coughlan, G., Gonzalez, C., Jutten, R. J., Martinez, J., Orlovsky, I., Robinson, T., Weizenbaum, E., Pluim, C. F., Quiroz, Y. T., Gatchel, J. R., Vannini, P., & Amariglio, R. (2023). Recent contributions to the field of subjective cognitive decline in aging: A literature review. Alzheimer's & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment & Disease Monitoring, 15(4), e12475. https://doi.org/10.1002/dad2.12475

Nichols, E., Steinmetz, J. D., Vollset, S. E., Fukutaki, K., Chalek, J., Abd-Allah, F., Abdoli, A., Abualhasan, A., Abu-Gharbieh, E., Akram, T. T., Al Hamad, H., Alahdab, F., Alanezi, F. M., Alipour, V., Almustanyir, S., Amu, H., Ansari, I., Arabloo, J., Ashraf, T., ... Vos, T. (2022). Estimation of the global prevalence of dementia in 2019 and forecasted prevalence in 2050: An analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. The Lancet Public Health, 7(2), e105–e125. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-2667(21)00249-8

Pais, R., Ruano, L., Carvalho, O. P., & Barros, H. (2020). Global cognitive impairment prevalence and incidence in community-dwelling older adults: A systematic review. Geriatrics, 5(4), Article 84. https://doi.org/10.3390/geriatrics5040084

Parikh, P. K., Troyer, A. K., Maione, A. M., & Murphy, K. J. (2016). The impact of memory change on daily life in normal aging and mild cognitive impairment. The Gerontologist, 56(5), 877–885. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnv030

Pike, K. E., Cavuoto, M. G., Li, L., Wright, B. J., & Kinsella, G. J. (2022). Subjective cognitive decline: Level of risk for future dementia and mild cognitive impairment, a meta-analysis of longitudinal studies. Neuropsychology Review, 32(4), 703–735. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11065-021-09522-3

Rabin, L. A., Smart, C. M., & Amariglio, R. E. (2017). Subjective cognitive decline in preclinical Alzheimer's disease. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 13, 369–396. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-032816-045136

Rabin, L. A., Smart, C. M., Crane, P. K., Amariglio, R. E., Berman, L. M., Boada, M., Buckley, R. F., Chételat, G., Dubois, B., Ellis, K. A., Gifford, K. A., Jefferson, A. L., Jessen, F., Katz, M. J., Lipton, R. B., Luck, T., Maruff, P., Mielke, M. M., Molinuevo, J. L., ... Sikkes, S. A. M. (2015). Subjective cognitive decline in older adults: An overview of self-report measures used across 19 international research studies. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, 48(Suppl. 1), S63–S86. https://doi.org/10.3233/JAD-150154

Safitri, R. P., & Sadif, R. S. (2013). Spiritual emotional freedom technique (SEFT) to reduce depression for chronic renal failure patients in Cilacap Hospital undergoing hemodialysis. International Journal of Social Science and Humanity, 3(3), 300–303. https://doi.org/10.7763/IJSSH.2013.V3.249

Sheng, C., Yang, K., Wang, X., Li, H., Li, T., Lin, L., Liu, Y., Yang, Q., Wang, X., Wang, X., Sun, Y., & Han, Y. (2020). Advances in non-pharmacological interventions for subjective cognitive decline: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, 77(2), 903–920. https://doi.org/10.3233/JAD-191295

Smart, C. M., Karr, J. E., Areshenkoff, C. N., Rabin, L. A., Hudon, C., Gates, N., & SCD-I Working Group. (2017). Non-pharmacologic interventions for older adults with subjective cognitive decline: Systematic review, meta-analysis, and preliminary recommendations. Neuropsychology Review, 27(3), 245–257. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11065-017-9348-1

Stapleton, P., Kip, K., Church, D., Toussaint, L., Footman, J., Ballantyne, P., & O’Keefe, T. (2023). Emotional freedom techniques for treating post-traumatic stress disorder: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1195286. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1195286

Taylor, C. A., Bouldin, E. D., & McGuire, L. C. (2018). Subjective cognitive decline among adults aged ≥45 years—United States, 2015–2016. MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 67(27), 753–757. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6727a1

Usmani, B. A., Lakhdir, M. P. A., Sameen, S., Batool, S., Odland, M. L., Goodman-Palmer, D., & Davies, J. (2024). Exploring the priorities of ageing populations in Pakistan, comparing views of older people in Karachi City and Thatta. PLOS ONE, 19(7), e0304474. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0304474

Vitorino, L. M., Granero Lucchetti, A. L., & Lucchetti, G. (2023). The role of spirituality and religiosity on the cognitive decline of community-dwelling older adults: A 4-year longitudinal study. Aging & Mental Health, 27(8), 1526–1533. https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2022.2141195

Wells, A. (2008). Metacognitive therapy: A practical guide. Guilford Press.

World Health Organization. (2017). Mental health of older adults. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-health-of-older-adults

Zlokovic, B. V., Gottesman, R. F., Bernstein, K. E., Seshadri, S., McKee, A., Snyder, H., Greenberg, S. M., Yaffe, K., Schaffer, C. B., Yuan, C., Hughes, T. M., Daemen, M. J., Williamson, J. D., González, H. M., Schneider, J., Wellington, C. L., Katusic, Z. S., Stoeckel, L., Koenig, J. I., … Chen, J. (2020). Vascular contributions to cognitive impairment and dementia (VCID): A report from the 2018 National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Workshop. Alzheimer’s & Dementia, 16(12), 1714–1733. https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.12157

Zuniga, K. E., Mackenzie, M. J., Kramer, A., & McAuley, E. (2016). Subjective memory impairment and well-being in community-dwelling older adults. Psychogeriatrics, 16(1), 20–26. https://doi.org/10.1111/psyg.12120

Downloads

Published

2026-08-30

How to Cite

Spiritual Emotional Freedom Therapy (SEFT) Enhances Memory and Daily Function in Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial. (2026). Journal of Social Sciences Review, 6(4), 161-175. https://doi.org/10.62843/jssr.v6i4.771