Using hypnosis in clinical practice for the management of chronic pain: A qualitative study

Interventions used in chronic pain management do not routinely use clinical hypnosis (CH), despite evidence to suggest its effectiveness in improving pain outcomes. This study aimed to explore the beliefs and attitudes of clinicians' towards the implementation of CH in chronic pain management.

We conducted a cross-sectional qualitative analysis following online CH training. Clinicians working in three tertiary pain clinics, were recruited to participate in the online training program and invited to focus groups following completion of the training to explore beliefs and attitudes towards CH and the training program.

We identified three themes regarding barriers and two themes regarding facilitators to implementation of CH. Barriers: (i) misconceptions about CH, (ii) reduced confidence in implementing CH, and (iii) concerns about integrating CH with current treatment frameworks. Facilitators: (i) change in knowledge and attitude following training and (ii) an openness to exploring the technique and skills. The online training program was evaluated as positive with two themes: (i) training structure and (ii) training credibility.

Successful implementation of CH requires the development of training programs that address existing misconceptions of CH, allow for knowledge and skills acquisition, and adapt to the contextual setting within which the intervention is implemented.

Training of clinicians in the process and skills required to deliver clinical hypnosis for chronic pain should be supported to facilitate its successful implementation into clinical settings.