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.