Hypnotherapy for Depression: Hope Beyond Medication

Hypnotherapy for Depression: Hope Beyond Medication

Research in the field of psychology and therapy is constantly evolving, and with it the range of treatment options for mental illnesses such as depression. One of the interesting developments in this area is the use of hypnotherapy. This procedure may sound like a concept from an old movie to some, but recent research points to its potential effectiveness as a treatment option for depression.

The study discussed here, which was conducted in 2024, deals with hypnotherapy in the context of depression treatment. In compliance with the PRISMA-ScR guidelines (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews), it offers a comprehensive overview of previous studies on this topic. A total of 232 articles were identified through systematic search strategies in four databases, of which 14 were included in the final review after a rigorous review. These studies vary from case studies to randomized controlled trials and range in age from 18 to 70 years, with a predominance of female study participants.

Interestingly, hypnotherapy has often been used as a complementary treatment alongside various types of psychotherapy, such as cognitive behavioral therapy. Techniques such as hypnotic induction, ego strengthening and self-hypnosis were often used. The duration of treatment varied from three sessions to 20 weekly sessions. Most importantly, most studies show that hypnotherapy can be effective in reducing symptoms of depression, with some studies even suggesting that it may be more effective than antidepressant treatment in areas such as overall health and vitality.

These results suggest that hypnotherapy may be a viable treatment option for depression, but also highlight the need for further controlled studies to determine its effectiveness. In the future, such studies may lead to hypnotherapy being used more frequently as part of an integrative treatment plan for depression, perhaps even as a preferred method over traditional treatments, particularly for patients who either do not respond to antidepressants or wish to avoid them due to side effects.

Basic terms and concepts:

• Hypnotherapie: Eine Form der Psychotherapie, die Hypnose nutzt, um im Rahmen der Behandlung von psychischen und physischen Leiden Veränderungen im Bewusstseinszustand, Gedanken, Wahrnehmungen oder Verhalten zu bewirken.
• Depression: Eine häufige psychische Erkrankung, die sich durch anhaltende Traurigkeit, Interessenverlust und eine Unfähigkeit, alltägliche Aktivitäten zu genießen oder sich dazu zu motivieren, auszeichnet.
• Randomisierte kontrollierte Studien: Eine Art von wissenschaftlicher Studie, die dazu dient, die Wirksamkeit einer Behandlung oder Intervention zu bewerten, indem zufällig Teilnehmer ausgewählt werden, um entweder die zu untersuchende Behandlung oder eine Kontrollbehandlung zu erhalten.
• PRISMA-ScR: Ein Satz von Richtlinien für die Erstellung von umfangreichen Reviews (Übersichtsarbeiten), die systematisch angelegt sind, um den Forschungsstand in einem bestimmten Bereich zu erfassen.

Effectiveness of hypnotherapy in the treatment of depression

This review examines the use of hypnotherapy as a form of treatment for depression and is based on the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. A total of 232 articles were identified through systematic search strategies in four databases. After a rigorous selection process, 14 studies, ranging from case studies to randomized controlled trials, were selected for final review.

The participants in these studies were between 18 and 70 years old, with the proportion of female participants generally being higher than that of male participants. Hypnotherapy has often been used as a complementary treatment alongside various types of psychotherapy, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, and has included techniques such as hypnotic induction, ego strengthening, and self-hypnosis. The duration of treatment varied from 3 sessions to 20 weekly sessions.

The majority of studies have concluded that hypnotherapy is effective in reducing symptoms of depression, with some studies indicating that it has superior effects compared to antidepressants in areas such as totality and vitality. This review highlights the potential of hypnotherapy as a possible treatment option for depression and emphasizes the need for further controlled studies to determine its effectiveness.

In detail, the present research confirms the relevance of hypnotherapy in the therapeutic context, especially for depressive disorders, and provides a point of reference for future research in this area by summarizing the previous findings in a structured manner and highlighting gaps in current research.

It can be seen that the integrative use of hypnotherapy and conventional psychotherapy represents a promising approach in the treatment of depression, which expands the therapeutic spectrum and promotes individualized treatment strategies. The methodological quality and the respective results of the included studies underline the importance of a well-founded, evidence-based application of hypnotherapy.

The systematic analysis and the resulting findings are based in particular on a careful selection and evaluation of relevant research work, as below https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38416132 documented.