Hypnotherapy As Empirically Supported Treatment
Posted on November 10, 2009 in Hypnosis | No Comments
In the summer of this year, I was given a brilliant handout by Donald Robertson based upon a review published by David M. Wark, as cited in his paper that featured in the American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, July 2008. The paper, entitled ‘What we can do with hypnosis: a brief note’, reviewed some of the important pieces of research in the field of hypnotherapy.
For those of you that are hypnotherapists, students of hypnotherapy, or have an interestin and are exploring the field of hypnotherapy, this is some truly marvellous information to give you some pointers when seeking out empirically supported evidence in the field of hypnotherapy.
You can track down these pieces of research at the various research websites online to examine them further. The full references can be found in Wark’s paper along with the full criteria of the results shown, but here is it all in a nutshell:
Target Disorder Note Source
Acute pain (adult) See Patterson and Jensen, 2003 (Patterson & Jensen, 2003)
for a greater summary of findings
Acute pain (children) Hypnosis > distraction for (Zeltzer & LaBaron, 1982)
bone marrow aspiration
Anorexia Staged treatment with hypnosis > (Baker & Nash, 1987)
same without hypnosis
Anxiety about asthma Hypnosis reduces anxiety about (Brown, 2007)
attack asthma attacks
Anxiety about public Hypnosis reduces fear > CBT (Schoenberger, Kirsch, Gearan,
speaking Montgomery, & Pastyrnak, S.L.,
1997)
Anxiety about taking a test Self-hypnosis reduces test anxiety > (Stanton, 1994)
discussion control
Asthma Hypnosis > attention control (Ewer & Stewart, 1986)
Bed wetting Suggestion with or without (Edwards & Van der Spuy, hypnosis > wait list control 1985)
Bulmia Hypnosis = CBT > wait list control (Griffiths, Hadzi Pavlovic &
Channon Little, 1996)
Cancer pain Hypnosis reduces cancer pain (Syrjala, Cummings &
Donaldson, 1992)
Chemotherapy distress Hypnosis > conversation + antiemetic (Jacknow, Tschann, Link &
medication Boyce, 1994)
Cystic fibrosis Self-hypnosis > wait list control (Belsky & Khanna, 1994)
Depression Hypnosis adds to CBT effect (Alladin & Alibhai, 2007)
treating depression
Distress during surgery Hypnosis reduces anxiety and pain > (Lang, Berbaum, Faintuck,
controls Hatsiopoulou, Halsey, Li et al,
2006)
Hemorrhage Preoperative suggestion reduces (Enqvist, von Konow &
blood flow Bystedt, 1995)
High blood pressure Hypnosis > wait list control to (Gay, 2007)
lower BP long term
Hip or knee osteoarthritis Hypnosis = relaxation > wait list (Gay,Philippot & pain control Luminet, 2002)
Insomnia without medical Hypnosis + CBT > medication (Graci & Hardie, 2007)
source long term
Irritable bowel syndrome Hypnosis > psychotherapy for (Whorwell, Prior & Faragher, 1984)
symptom reduction
Nausea and hyperemesis “Relaxation” (similar to hypnosis) > (Lyles, Burish, Krozely &
control Oldham, 1982)
Obstetrics pain Hypnosis shortens labor and reduces (Jenkins & Prichard, 1933)
analgesic use
Surgery pain (Adult) Self-hypnosis reduces drug use > (Lang, Joyce, Spiegel, Hamilton
attention control & Lee, 1996)
Surgery pain (Child) Hypnosis reduces pain and hospital (Lambert, 1996)
time > control
Trauma recovery Desensitization = hypnosis = (Brom, Kleber & Defares, 1989)
psychodynamic > control
Wart Removal Suggestion with or without hypnosis > (Spanos, Williams & Gwynn, 1990)
control or medication
So there are one or two pieces of full-on evidence and research to suggest hypnotherapy really is an empirically-supported treatment, eh?
