CLINICAL-APPLICATIONS OF HYPNOSIS TO 3 PSYCHOSOMATIC-DISORDERS

Reviews outcomes and methodological soundness of studies of hypnosis in the treatment of skin disorders, headaches, and asthma. Some studies focused on changing physiological functions, others on increasing insight in their patients, and others on altering patients' perceptions of their symptoms. Methodological weaknesses included lack of control groups, nonrandom assignment of patients to treatment conditions, and confounding of treatment effects or lack of control for placebo effects. Additional weaknesses centered around the use of single outcome measures and the failure to assess the specific roles of mediating variables. Most studies showed positive treatment effects. However, there was equivocal evidence that hypnosis can directly influence autonomic functioning. Hypnosis may be valuable in facilitating one's capacity to gain insight into how one's symptoms developed and are maintained. In addition, hypnotic procedures have resulted in some success when used to indirectly alleviate symptoms by altering how individuals perceive their disorders and how these disorders affect their lives. (42 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved). © 1979 American Psychological Association.