Hypnotic tape intervention ameliorates stress: a randomized, control study

Int J Clin Exp Hypn. 2013;61(2):125-45. doi: 10.1080/00207144.2013.753820.

Abstract

This study (N = 35) used a randomized control design, and participants were collected from a variety of groups. After evaluating their degree of stress and burnout, coping styles, general well-being, and hypnotizability, participants were matched by stress level and randomly assigned to an intervention or wait-list group. The intervention comprised an audio recording of a hypnotic induction accompanied by suggestions for progressive relaxation, imagery, and anchoring to be used for 2 weeks. The results show that, as compared with baseline and wait-list conditions, the hypnotic intervention had a medium-to-large beneficial effect on participants' experience of stress, burnout, and well-being. Some participants also decreased their use of the coping strategy escape-avoidance postintervention. Hypnotizability correlated significantly or marginally with some outcomes of the intervention, but only for 1 group.

Publication types

  • Randomized Controlled Trial

MeSH terms

  • Adaptation, Psychological
  • Adult
  • Burnout, Professional / psychology
  • Burnout, Professional / therapy*
  • Defense Mechanisms
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Hypnosis / methods*
  • Imagery, Psychotherapy
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Quality of Life / psychology*
  • Relaxation Therapy
  • Stress, Psychological / psychology
  • Stress, Psychological / therapy*
  • Suggestion
  • Tape Recording*
  • Young Adult