Immediate hypnosis effects and outcome predictors in chronic nociplastic pain.

This study used data from a randomized controlled trial on the efficacy of hypnosis with analgesic suggestions relative to hypnosis with nonspecific suggestions to explore two areas. The first was the immediate effects of each hypnosis session and their relevance to the treatment induced change in pain intensity. The second was the identification of variables associated with the beneficial effects of hypnosis treatment in the form of reducing pain intensity and pain quality. The predictive value of the initial treatment response, hypnotizability, and the dichotomous variable of pain medication use were examined. Both interventions resulted in similar significant reductions in pain intensity after each session, but without a cumulative effect. The initial response correlated positively and moderately with pain intensity decreases induced by the complete hypnosis treatment. There was only a weak association between hypnotizability and pain quality improvement. Only participants not taking pain medications achieved a meaningful reduction in pain outcomes. Each hypnosis session results in an immediate reduction in chronic nociplastic pain intensity, and a fruitful first session may be a positive signal to continue therapy. Even patients with low hypnotizability can obtain beneficial outcomes. Pain medication use may become a new predictor in hypnosis research, as significant decreases in pain intensity and pain quality occurred only in the absence of pharmacotherapy. However, the results of this study require confirmation in further research with longer treatment periods.

The Efficacy of Hypnotic Analgesic Suggestions in Chronic Nociplastic Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

This blinded study evaluated the relative efficacy of three hypnosis sessions in 60 patients with chronic nociplastic pain allocated randomly to one of two conditions: hypnosis with analgesic suggestions, or hypnosis with nonspecific suggestions. Pain intensity, pain quality, and pain interference as outcome measures were assessed before and after treatment. A mixed-design analysis of the variance model showed no significant differences between groups. According to the adjusted model, large effect size improvements in pain intensity and pain quality emerged for both conditions but were only meaningful for patients not taking pain medications. Analgesic suggestions may not play a primary role in beneficial outcomes of hypnosis at the beginning of chronic pain management since both interventions demonstrated similar positive effects. Future studies should investigate the efficacy of the hypnosis components over longer treatment periods.

Hypnotizability and psychopathology of patients with personality disorders.

Assessment of hypnotizability is useful in research and predicting the effects of hypnosis in clinical practice. There are few contemporary scientific reports examining the relationship between hypnotizability and psychopathological personality dimensions. The current study explores the connections between abnormal personality in psychiatric patients and the hypnotizability level. Fifty-five patients with anxiety and personality disorders who previously completed the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) were invited to undergo the Elkins Hypnotizability Scale - Clinical Form (EHS-CF). The hypnotizability scores comprise a normal distribution but shifted toward low scores. Twenty-seven patients were included in the low hypnotizability (LOW) group, and 28 patients in the medium to high (MID-HIGH) group. The number of participants with high scores on the Psychopathic Deviate and Paranoia MMPI-2 clinical scales was significantly higher in the LOW than in the MID-HIGH group. Patterns of associations between hypnotizability and psychopathology differed in the two groups. The results indicate that moderate hypnotizability should be considered a normal trait that has no meaningful relationship with psychopathology, but certain dysfunctional symptoms of personality disorders may entail resistance and a defensive attitude toward the hypnotherapy, resulting in a tendency to obtain lower hypnotizability.

Potential Effect of Repetitive Hypnotic Inductions on Subjectively Rated Hypnotizability: A Brief Report.

This study aimed to describe the potential influence of repetitive hypnotic inductions on hypnotizability, presentation of change dynamics, and comparison of 2 types of assessment. Six subjects underwent 5 subsequent hypnotic procedures. Ratings of response to hypnotic suggestions included self ratings by subjects and ratings by observers. The suggestion effects were evaluated using a 0-to-3 rating scale. Five out of 6 subjects were susceptible to suggestions; 1 was not responsive. Increase or stability, not decrease, were observed within subsequent procedures. The hypnotizability ratings increased significantly in subjects' assessment. However, there was an insignificant change in observers' assessment. Repetitive hypnotic inductions may modulate subjectively rated hypnotizability. Behavioral responses do not precisely reflect subjective experiences in the state of hypnosis.

[Psychotherapy for pregnant women with psychiatric disorders]. / Psychoterapia ciezarnych kobiet cierpiacych na zaburzenia psychiczne.

Pregnancy is a major life change for many women. The related biological changes, especially complications in its course and in the course of delivery, carry a risk of developing a variety of psychological problems and mental disorders. However, their treatment is challenging due to the teratogenic effects of most psychoactive drugs and specific requirements for entering different psychotherapeutic programs. Mental disorders during pregnancy are undoubtedly an important issue for both gynecology and psychiatry. There is still a discussion considering the question whether psychotherapy during pregnancy is safe, although no scientifically valid data contradicting the safety of psychotherapy during pregnancy has been published so far. Together with psychotherapy - as a treatment of choice - clinicians approve some other relatively safe treatment methods for psychiatric disorders in pregnant women. Light therapy, limited pharmacotherapy, ECT are included. The goal of this paper is to review current opinions of clinicians and researches concerning possibilities, indications and outcome of psychological treatments as a way to help pregnant women who suffer from different psychiatric conditions, and also because this subject is not yet present in Polish psychiatric journals.