Keep up to date on the latest in hypnotherapy and hypnosis research with our Research Director’s monthly research snippet.
The January Research Snippet, for a change, provides a complete outline of an evidence-based protocol for modern behaviour therapy for anxiety (Öst’s Applied Relaxation). It’s suggested that this method could be easily adapted for use as a cognitive-behavioural hypnotherapy treatment for anxiety, and that its standardised and simple nature (and the comparison with established methods) make it well-suited for use in treatment outcome studies on hypnotherapy for anxiety.
Christmas research snippet about a recent review of evidence-based practice in relation to hypnosis for childbirth and related issues, focusing on pain management in childbirth, etc.
The November research snippet reviews some research on the treatment of blood phobia using muscular tension (Applied Tension) as opposed to relaxation techniques of the kind traditionally favoured by hypnotherapists.
October’s snippet briefly summarises an important treatment outcome study by Schoenberger, Kirsch, et al., examining the additive value of hypnosis combined with CBT for public speaking anxiety. Prof. Kirsch will be a speaker at this year’s NCH Extravaganza event.
The August Research Snippet reviews arguably the most important recent journal articles reviewing the cognitive psychology of mindfulness meditation and its relevance for hypnotherapy.
Reflections on the recent special issue of IJCEH dealing with hypnotherapy for clinical depression, and attempts to create hybrid hypnotherapy approaches combined with modern evidence-based psychotherapies for depression.
This article summarises the research studies on hypnotherapy identified in a recent review as meeting the criteria for empirically-supported treatments (ESTs).
This snippet discusses a recent experimental study which attempted to quantify (as a percentage) the extent to which expectation contributed to the pain-reducing effects of hypnosis, imagination, and a placebo medication. Strong evidence was derived from statistical analysis suggesting that the effect of hypnotism is “partially-mediated” by expectation, albeit to a lesser degree than the placebo effect.
A recent series of articles compared the influential “sociocognitive” and “response expectancy” theories of hypnosis with Alfred Barrios’ “conditioning and inhibition” theory, which reprises elements of Pavlov’s theory of hypnotic suggestion. This snippet outlines the opposing theories and research findings cited in favour of the sociocognitive position.
What’s the relationship between indirect suggestion and traditional hypnotism? This article gives a plain English review of Hans Eysenck’s seminal research on the factors in hypnotic suggestibility.
May Research Snippet. Some updates on research news and a short discussion of a recent study comparing self-hypnosis and progressive muscle relaxation in the treatment of chronic pain in multiple sclerosis. The role of expectation and hypnotic susceptibillity are examined.
Are you looking for research, evidence or information about a specific application of hypnotherapy or some other aspect of hypnosis? Here’s a quick guide and some links to help you find the research you’re looking for online.
This article briefly reviews the first major meta-analysis in the field of psychotherapy, The Benefits of Psychotherapy, by Smith et al. (1980), which pooled outcome data from 475 different controlled treatment studies.
This month’s snippet from Jo Goss is on Alopecia Areata