The effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral hypnotherapy on dysmenorrhea, premenstrual syndrome and affective control

The objective of this study was to assess the effects of cognitive-behavioral hypnotherapy on dysmenorrhea, premenstrual syndrome, and women's emotional management. Utilizing a quasi-experimental design with control group, the research adopted a pretest-posttest method. The focus group was comprised of women of reproductive age seeking counseling and psychological services at Ferdowsi University of Mashhad. Fifty participants were selected through purposive sampling and randomly divided into two groups - experimental and control - with 25 in each. They completed the Visual Analog Scale, Premenstrual Symptoms Screening Tool (PSST), and Affective Control Scale (ACS) before and after the intervention. The data were analyzed using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) with SPSS-21 software. The findings revealed that cognitive-behavioral hypnotherapy significantly reduced dysmenorrhea pain, symptoms of premenstrual syndrome, and improved emotional regulation. Therefore, this therapy, which includes suggestion and relaxation techniques, is recommended for enhancing the quality of life for women suffering from premenstrual and menstrual discomfort, as well as related emotional distress. It is suggested as a treatment for women with issues stemming from premenstrual and menstrual pain symptoms.