Hypnotherapy as Treatment for Depression: A Scoping Review

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry and Mental Health
• Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Background:

• Depression is a prevalent mood disorder with significant global health impact.
• Existing treatments for depression, including pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy, have varying efficacy and side effect profiles.
• There is a growing interest in exploring adjunctive and alternative therapeutic modalities for depression management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a scoping review of studies investigating hypnotherapy for depression.
• To synthesize findings on the application, duration, and efficacy of hypnotherapy in treating depressive symptoms.
• To adhere to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search across four databases, identifying 232 articles.
• Rigorous screening process to select relevant studies.
• Inclusion of 14 studies, encompassing case studies to randomized controlled trials, with participants aged 18-70 years.

Main Results:

• Hypnotherapy was frequently employed as an adjunct to psychotherapy (e.g., cognitive behavioral therapy).
• Common techniques included hypnotic induction, ego strengthening, and self-hypnosis, with treatment durations ranging from 3 to 20 weekly sessions.
• The majority of reviewed studies indicated hypnotherapy's effectiveness in alleviating depression symptoms, with some suggesting superior outcomes in overall health and vitality compared to antidepressant treatment.

Conclusions:

• Hypnotherapy presents a potentially effective treatment option for individuals with depression.
• Further rigorous, controlled studies are warranted to definitively establish the efficacy and comparative effectiveness of hypnotherapy for depression.
• The findings support the consideration of hypnotherapy within a comprehensive treatment strategy for depression.