Self-Administered Hypnosis vs Sham Hypnosis for Hot Flashes: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Authors' conclusion
In this randomized clinical trial, the clinical hypnosis group experienced significantly greater reductions of hot flash scores and daily interference from hot flashes compared with the active control condition at week 6. This study suggests that hypnosis delivered through self-administered audio files is a clinically significant and effective method to reduce hot flashes in postmenopausal women.
Study context
- Population
- Postmenopausal women self-reporting ≥4 daily or 28 weekly hot flashes at baseline; Baylor University (Waco, Texas) and University of Michigan (Ann Arbor); mean (SD) age 55.9 (6.9) years; 24.8% with history of breast cancer
- Participants
- 250 postmenopausal women
- Comparison
- 6-week self-administered hypnosis vs self-administered sham white noise hypnosis
- Primary endpoint
- Change in hot flash score (product of frequency and severity from daily hot flash diary; lower = less frequent and less severe)
- Follow-up
- baseline to 6 weeks, with 12-week follow-up
Methodological detailsmulticenter, 2-arm, single-blind
- Multicenter
- 2-arm
- Single-blind
Primary result
As reported in the abstract
Hot flash score, mean (SD) · 6 weeks Hypnosis mean 41.3 (SD 50.8) · White noise mean 55.9 (SD 50.9)
Baseline score Hypnosis 88.7 [61.3] · White noise 94.6 [81.6]
Decrease
- Hypnosis vs White noise: P = 0.04 — greater improvement with hypnosis
Secondary outcomes
Daily interference, HFRDIS score (0-100; lower = less interference), mean (SD) · 6 weeks Hypnosis mean 25.0 (SD 22.4) · White noise mean 29.6 (SD 22.0)
Baseline score Hypnosis 49.3 [22.6] · White noise 47.3 [22.4]
Decrease
Perceived benefit (Subject Global Impression of Change)
Daily interference, Hot Flash Related Daily Interference Scale (HFRDIS) score (0-100; lower = less interference), mean (SD) · 6 weeks
- Significantly greater reduction in daily interference with hypnosis vs control
Original publication
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