Contemporary hypnosis : the journal of the British Society of Experimental and Clinical Hypnosis最新文献

This study was geared towards testing the relationship between responsiveness to hypnotic suggestions and the psychodynamic mechanisms of defence. Ninety Chinese participants were invited to attend a suggestibility test session and completed a measure of defence style. Most of the defence scales did not vary significantly with the suggestibility. The only type of defence which showed a significant association with the suggestibility was idealization. The implications of the findings were discussed in the psychodynamic and Chinese context. Copyright © 2006 British Society of Experimental & Clinical Hypnosis. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a debilitating condition affecting between 14 and 25% of the general population. Medication has been reported to be of limited efficacy. However, there is increasing evidence suggesting that hypnotic imagery can be an effective adjunct to therapy for this problem. The present experimental single case study aims to illustrate the process of psychological treatment of IBS with the adjunct of hypnosis and to explore the effectiveness of particular interventions. Over 10 sessions of treatment an overall reduction of 64% was seen in primary IBS symptoms. At 9-months follow-up this had improved further to a 72% reduction in primary symptoms and lower anxiety levels. The marked improvement seen with this client is consistent with the view that hypnosis is an effective adjunct to IBS treatments. Copyright © 2006 British Society of Experimental & Clinical Hypnosis. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

This study looks at the efficacy of a multifaceted approach to the relief of phantom limb pain. Using hypnosis, four therapeutic interventions are incorporated into this treatment: hypnotic analgesia; visualization and movement of an imaginary limb to facilitate the movement of the phantom limb; psychological therapy and self-hypnosis. Twenty-five amputees completed a course of hypnosis averaging six weekly sessions. All patients were taught self-hypnosis and encouraged to continue this practice on a daily basis. The levels, duration and frequency of all pains were recorded before and after each session with a follow-up postal questionnaire sent out six months after treatments were completed. Results showed a highly significant (p < 0.001) reduction in pain levels from baseline to post treatment. Pain levels showed some increase by the six month follow-up questionnaire but were still significantly lower than the baseline. This study supports these combined hypnotic techniques as a treatment for phantom limb pain. Copyright © 2006 British Society of Experimental & Clinical Hypnosis. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

In this paper we explore the meaning and experience of living with breast cancer that had returned after conventional treatment. We focus on the process of learning and applying a specific psychological intervention to aid with the coping process. Of sixteen women who were randomized to self-hypnosis training, Johrei training or a control wait-list group, eight agreed to be interviewed. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and then analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. The major themes that conceptualized living with the return of breast cancer were self-identity, self-blame, social isolation and feelings of being constrained. The themes relating to psychological intervention were gaining a sense of control and empowerment, normalizing and re-attribution, and a powerful military metaphor for dealing with the actual cancer. Copyright © 2006 British Society of Experimental & Clinical Hypnosis. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Presenting problem: Female, 31, attended emergency appointment at dental surgery with pain, dental phobia prevented extraction.

Aim: Manage dental phobia using hypnosis integrated into anxiety management treatment plan to facilitate extraction.

Methods: Pre-treatment questionnaire assessed dental anxiety, reasons for anxiety, and ascertained management options. Post-treatment questionnaire assessed changes in dental anxiety and attitudes. Anxiety management techniques: needle desensitization and hypnosis.

Results: Pre-treatment questionnaire revealed high level anxiety (16/20 Corah score, and 25/30 modified Corah score) and anticipation of pain during future dental treatment (5/10 on a Visual Analogue Scale). Following the successful extraction of the tooth, a post-treatment questionnaire revealed low level anxiety (7/20 Corah and 11/30 modified Corah) and low anticipation of future pain (1/10).

Conclusion: Patient attended second emergency appointment and hypnotic intervention facilitated the removal of the troublesome tooth. Successful outcome of this treatment and new learned self-hypnosis techniques allowed patient to feel more confident about accepting future dental treatment without need for pharmacological intervention. Copyright © 2006 British Society of Experimental & Clinical Hypnosis. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Presenting problem: Jo is a 55-year-old female who has a phobia of dental treatment. She has been completely blind since birth and requires periodontal treatment and subsequent extraction.

Aim: Treat Jo's periodontal condition and decrease her phobia and fear of treatment by using hypnosis as an adjunct to basic anxiety management techniques.

Methods: In surgery, medical, dental and phobia history explored. Pre-treatment questionnaires assessed dental anxiety, reasons for anxiety, and ascertained management options. Post-treatment questionnaires assessed changes in dental anxiety and attitudes. Anxiety management techniques included Tell/Show/Do and hypnosis.

Results: Pre-treatment questionnaire revealed high level anxiety and anticipation of pain during future dental treatment. Following hypnotic intervention facilitating periodontal intervention and subsequent extraction, repeated questionnaires revealed significant reduction in anxiety and anticipation of pain.

Conclusion: Hypnosis seems to have been successful as an adjunct in achieving the initial aim. Copyright © 2006 British Society of Experimental & Clinical Hypnosis. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

In order to investigate the effects of the hypnotic state a standardized hypnosis session was conducted with 144 subjects in a controlled laboratory study. The induction of a hypnotic trance in the German version of the Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility (HGSHS:A by Shor and Orne, 1962) was tape-recorded and used as the treatment.

The HGSHS:A seems to be a reliable measure of suggestibility and hypnotizability. This is underlined by the consistent results of a factor analysis on the depths of hypnosis that is in agreement with former studies. Descriptive data analyses with a sufficient number of subjects of high and low suggestibility suggest that our hypnosis induction by tape is an effective method of producing a hypnotic trance. Analyses of within-subjects variables did not reveal any valid predictors of hypnotizability, thereby confirming the need of screening instruments such as the HGSHS. Copyright © 2006 British Society of Experimental & Clinical Hypnosis. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

This paper delineates a treatment group, including three Chinese undergraduate participants, run for managing examination anxiety and facilitating performance, principally derived from the stress management programme designed by the Hypnosis Unit of University College London. The treatment group comprised four sessions spread over two weeks and was carried out just before, in between and immediately after the examinations. Hypnosis was utilized as an adjunct to cognitive-behavioural therapy in tackling the stress in relation to examinations, and in facilitating revision, sleep and examinations. Although formal assessments of achievement anxiety showed only mild changes, personal reports reflected improvements in both anxiety management and performance during examinations along with changes of perspectives towards learning and examinations. Copyright © 2006 British Society of Experimental & Clinical Hypnosis. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Early observations have shown that preventive educational efforts towards experience of stress entail advantages in terms of improved well-being, health and performance. We examined the influence in healthy subjects of self-hypnosis and mental training taught in group sessions, with individual training in between according to a standard protocol, and integrated in daily life and work for six months, on the alteration in plasma concentration of the stress hormone cortisol and the ‘anti ageing’ hormone dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S). DHEA-S and cortisol were analysed in twelve healthy men and women, with six individuals randomly divided equally between experimental and control groups. In the experimental group DHEA-S was significantly increased by 16% (P < 0.05), whereas plasma DHEA-S in controls followed an expected age-related decline. Cortisol was reduced by 12.3% (P < 0.05) in the experimental group, but remained unchanged in the control group. The ratio between plasma concentrations of DHEA-S and cortisol that reflects stress-related alteration in the adrenal secretion between androgens and glucocorticoids, increased significantly by 27.8% (P < 0.05) in the experimental group with a reduction of 8,2% in controls. The increase in plasma DHEA-S under experimental conditions was equivalent to a range normally found in individuals 5 to 10 years younger. Copyright © 2006 British Society of Experimental & Clinical Hypnosis. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.