Therapeutic Use of the Elkins Hypnotizability Scale: A Feasibility Study.

Hypnotizability assessment can inform hypnotic interventions, and studies on brief hypnotic inductions suggest that it may also confer therapeutic benefits. However, hypnotizability is rarely assessed in clinical practice due to limitations of current measures. The Elkins Hypnotizability Scale (EHS) improved upon such limitations and has been shown to be a very reliable and valid hypnotizability measure. This is the first study to examine the feasibility of the EHS as a therapeutic measure. Fifty-five participants were administered the EHS and randomized to two weeks of self-hypnosis with or without a recording. Results indicated that relaxation increased immediately after EHS administration, and relaxation and psychological distress improved after two weeks of self-hypnosis with the EHS induction. These results suggest that the EHS may be considered as a therapeutic measure and an avenue to introduce self-hypnosis in clinical practice with or without audio recordings.

Test-Retest Reliability of the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale, Form C and the Elkins Hypnotizability Scale.

This project aimed to assess the consistency of hypnotizability over repeated assessments when measured by the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale: Form C (SHSS:C), and the Elkins Hypnotizability Scale (EHS) and to contrast score distribution and pleasantness of these scales. University students were administered either the SHSS:C or the EHS twice with a one-week delay by separate experimenters. Test-retest reliability of the EHS and the SHSS:C was r s =.82 (.71-.92) and r s =.66, 95% (.47-.86), respectively (Spearman's correlation). Hypnotizability was comparable at test and retest in the EHS group, SHSS:C scores decreased by the retest. We found that the SHSS:C produced higher scores than the EHS, and the pleasantness of the 2 scales was comparable. Overall, our results supported the reliability of the EHS, while SHSS:C scores were more inconsistent between the 2 assessments. More research is warranted.

Hypnosis for Hot Flashes and Associated Symptomsin Women with Breast Cancer.

Women with breast cancer experience a host of physical and psychological symptoms, including hot flashes, sleep difficulties, anxiety, and depression. Therefore, treatment for women with breast cancer should target these symptoms and be individualized to patients' specific presentations. The current article reviews the common symptoms associated with breast cancer in women, then examines clinical hypnosis as a treatment for addressing these symptoms and improving the quality of life of women with breast cancer. Clinical hypnosis is an effective, nonpharmaceutical treatment for hot flashes and addressing many symptoms typically experienced by breast cancer patients. A case example is provided to illustrate the use of clinical hypnosis for the treatment of hot flashes with a patient with breast cancer.

Presence of Meaning in Life and Search for Meaning in Life and Relationship to Health Anxiety.

The present study explored presence of meaning in life, search for meaning in life, and their correlation with health anxiety. The Meaning in Life Questionnaire and the Short Health Anxiety Inventory were completed by 753 individuals. Results indicated higher presence of meaning in life was associated with lower health anxiety, while the opposite was observed for search for meaning in life. Results also revealed an interaction between presence of meaning in life and search for meaning in life, where individuals with high search for meaning in life and high presence of meaning in life had lower health anxiety than those with high search for meaning in life and low presence of meaning in life. These findings suggest that presence of meaning in life and search for meaning in life are correlates of health anxiety.

Comprehensive psychological intervention to improve outcome in functional gastrointestinal disorder: a cohort study.

INTRODUCTION: Patients with functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) have a decreased quality of life (QoL). Psychological illnesses are strongly associated with FGIDs. This study examined the effect of a comprehensive psychological intervention programme designed for refractory FGID patients. METHODS: Refractory FGID patients at a tertiary gastroenterology unit were encouraged to participate in a psychological intervention programme, which included screening for anxiety and depression in patients, educating patients and physicians on FGIDs, and providing early access to psychiatric consultation for patients with significant psychological illnesses. The duration of follow-up was six months. Outcomes were measured using the Irritable Bowel Syndrome-QoL (IBS-QoL) instrument and the EuroQol five dimensions (EQ-5D) questionnaire. RESULTS: A total of 1,189 patients (68% female, 80% Chinese, mean age 48.6 years) participated in the programme. Among these participants, 51% had a significant psychological disorder (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale [HADS] anxiety or depression score > 7). These participants had a significantly poorer QoL (IBS-QoL and EQ-5D, both p < 0.0001), and were more likely to be single or English-speaking, as compared to the participants without psychological disorders. Participants who completed ≥ 3 months of follow-up (n = 906) showed significant and durable improvement. High baseline HADS anxiety score predicted improvement (p < 0.001), with participant IBS-QoL and EQ-5D scores decreasing over time. CONCLUSION: The intervention programme was associated with a clinically meaningful improvement in the QoL of patients with refractory FGIDs. High baseline anxiety was predictive of improvement.