The authors summarize 4 articles of special interest to the
hypnosis community in the general scientific and medical literatures. All are empirical studies testing the clinical utility of
hypnosis, and together address the role of
hypnosis in prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of medical and
psychiatric disorders/conditions. The first is a randomized controlled study of smoking cessation treatments comparing a
hypnosis-based protocol to an established behavioral counseling protocol.
Hypnosis quit rates are superior to those of the accepted behavioral counseling protocol. A second study with pediatric patients finds
hypnosis critically helpful in differentiating nonepileptic seizure-like behaviors (pseudoseizures) from
epilepsy. The remaining 2 papers are randomized controlled trials testing whether
hypnosis is effective in helping patients manage the emotional distress of medical procedures associated with
cancer treatment. Among female survivors of
breast cancer,
hypnosis reduces perceived
hot flashes and associated emotional and sleep disruptions. Among pediatric
cancer patients, a brief
hypnotic intervention helps control venepuncture-related
pain.