1- Azad University, Zahedan
Abstract: (26 Views)
Studying the effectiveness of Ericksonian hypnotherapy on emotional distress in women with psychosomatic disorders referring to medical centers in Yazd
Background & Objective: Psychosomatic disorders are physical conditions that are closely related to psychosocial factors and can influence both the onset and clinical course of the disease. Studies have shown that approximately 30% of patient visits to primary or secondary health care centers involve functional disorders or psychosomatic disorders, the symptoms of which primarily affect the cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal, and connective tissue systems. Common complaints include nonspecific pain, fatigue, tachycardia, and tinnitus. Psychosomatic disorders not only reduce quality of life but also increase economic costs, while in patients with functional disorders, psychosomatic disorders can increase mortality. One of the components studied in women with psychosomatic disorders is emotional distress. Emotional distress is a state of significant psychological distress or suffering that often results from challenging life events, mental health conditions, or interpersonal problems. The use of psychological approaches in the treatment of people with psychosomatic disorders seems very obvious. Hypnotherapy refers to the use of hypnotic trance and hypnotic phenomena in the fields of psychotherapy, psychosomatics, and medicine (including dentistry). Hypnosis has proven itself as a promising technique in the treatment of childhood anxiety-related illnesses. In today's world, where anxiety and stress are an inseparable part of people's daily lives, psychosomatic disorders are highly prevalent and solutions must be found to treat the problems of affected individuals. There have been studies conducted on the effectiveness of hypnotherapy on various psychosomatic symptoms, but no studies have been found that specifically examine the effect of this method on emotional distress in psychosomatic disorders. This research gap is also important in a situation where the emotional distress component can act as both accelerating factors and barriers to improvement in the treatment process. In addition, examining this issue in the specific socio-cultural context of Yazd can provide valuable local data for designing more effective interventions. Given the existing evidence and the need for comprehensive interventions, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of Ericksonian hypnotherapy on emotional distress in women with psychosomatic disorders referring to treatment centers in Yazd.
Methods: This study was a quasi-experimental study with pre-test and post-test with a control group. Among women with psychosomatic disorders in Yazd, 30 eligible volunteers were recruited using convenience sampling method, of which 15 were randomly assigned to the intervention group and 15 to the control group. The scores of the emotional distress variable were compared using the Distress Tolerance Scale (Simmons and Gaher, 2005) at two time points before and after the hypnotherapy intervention. Data analysis was performed using analysis of covariance. The significance level of the tests was 0.05.
Results: Data analysis showed that the distress tolerance scale score in the intervention group and after receiving the intervention increased significantly compared to the control group (P<0.001). Based on the results of the effect size, 60% of the difference between the intervention group and the control group in the distress tolerance scale was due to the treatment.
Conclusion: In explaining the results of the study, it can be said that various studies have shown that hypnotherapy can improve emotional issues by changing the cognitive and emotional processing of pain and reducing anxiety responses. The hypnotic state, by increasing suggestibility and selectively focusing on internal experiences and mental images, allows the individual to change their negative and catastrophic beliefs about psychosomatic pain. These cognitive changes lead to a decrease in anxiety and ultimately an improvement in the individual's emotional distress from pain. According to the cognitive-behavioral model, pain anxiety is a key factor in the persistence of chronic pain and the occurrence of avoidance behaviors, and hypnotherapy, by modifying these patterns, allows for more active interaction with the environment and improving the quality of life. At the neurological level, imaging studies have shown that hypnotherapy creates lasting and positive changes in the experience of anxiety and pain by reducing the activity of brain areas related to pain processing, such as the amygdala and prefrontal cortex, and strengthening areas related to cognitive regulation and emotional control. In addition, reducing stress hormone levels and modulating physiological responses related to anxiety are other effective biological mechanisms of hypnotherapy. Hypnotherapy has been shown to significantly reduce emotional distress. Hypnotherapy can be a valuable tool in dealing with emotional distress by accessing and modifying unconscious patterns that contribute to negative thoughts and feelings. This method can help individuals to have better emotional regulation, reduce anxiety and depression, and process past trauma. Hypnotherapy, by creating a state of relaxation, allows individuals to examine and modify negative thought patterns, leading to lasting positive changes in their emotional health. The results of the present study showed that Ericksonian hypnotherapy has a significant effect on emotional distress in women with psychosomatic disorders referred to treatment centers in Yazd and can lead to improvement in emotional distress in these women. Therefore, individual Ericksonian hypnotherapy can probably be used as an effective treatment to improve emotional distress in women with psychosomatic disorders.
Background & Objective: Psychosomatic disorders are physical conditions that are closely related to psychosocial factors and can influence both the onset and clinical course of the disease. Studies have shown that approximately 30% of patient visits to primary or secondary health care centers involve functional disorders or psychosomatic disorders, the symptoms of which primarily affect the cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal, and connective tissue systems. Common complaints include nonspecific pain, fatigue, tachycardia, and tinnitus. Psychosomatic disorders not only reduce quality of life but also increase economic costs, while in patients with functional disorders, psychosomatic disorders can increase mortality. One of the components studied in women with psychosomatic disorders is emotional distress. Emotional distress is a state of significant psychological distress or suffering that often results from challenging life events, mental health conditions, or interpersonal problems. The use of psychological approaches in the treatment of people with psychosomatic disorders seems very obvious. Hypnotherapy refers to the use of hypnotic trance and hypnotic phenomena in the fields of psychotherapy, psychosomatics, and medicine (including dentistry). Hypnosis has proven itself as a promising technique in the treatment of childhood anxiety-related illnesses. In today's world, where anxiety and stress are an inseparable part of people's daily lives, psychosomatic disorders are highly prevalent and solutions must be found to treat the problems of affected individuals. There have been studies conducted on the effectiveness of hypnotherapy on various psychosomatic symptoms, but no studies have been found that specifically examine the effect of this method on emotional distress in psychosomatic disorders. This research gap is also important in a situation where the emotional distress component can act as both accelerating factors and barriers to improvement in the treatment process. In addition, examining this issue in the specific socio-cultural context of Yazd can provide valuable local data for designing more effective interventions. Given the existing evidence and the need for comprehensive interventions, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of Ericksonian hypnotherapy on emotional distress in women with psychosomatic disorders referring to treatment centers in Yazd.
Methods: This study was a quasi-experimental study with pre-test and post-test with a control group. Among women with psychosomatic disorders in Yazd, 30 eligible volunteers were recruited using convenience sampling method, of which 15 were randomly assigned to the intervention group and 15 to the control group. The scores of the emotional distress variable were compared using the Distress Tolerance Scale (Simmons and Gaher, 2005) at two time points before and after the hypnotherapy intervention. Data analysis was performed using analysis of covariance. The significance level of the tests was 0.05.
Results: Data analysis showed that the distress tolerance scale score in the intervention group and after receiving the intervention increased significantly compared to the control group (P<0.001). Based on the results of the effect size, 60% of the difference between the intervention group and the control group in the distress tolerance scale was due to the treatment.
Conclusion: In explaining the results of the study, it can be said that various studies have shown that hypnotherapy can improve emotional issues by changing the cognitive and emotional processing of pain and reducing anxiety responses. The hypnotic state, by increasing suggestibility and selectively focusing on internal experiences and mental images, allows the individual to change their negative and catastrophic beliefs about psychosomatic pain. These cognitive changes lead to a decrease in anxiety and ultimately an improvement in the individual's emotional distress from pain. According to the cognitive-behavioral model, pain anxiety is a key factor in the persistence of chronic pain and the occurrence of avoidance behaviors, and hypnotherapy, by modifying these patterns, allows for more active interaction with the environment and improving the quality of life. At the neurological level, imaging studies have shown that hypnotherapy creates lasting and positive changes in the experience of anxiety and pain by reducing the activity of brain areas related to pain processing, such as the amygdala and prefrontal cortex, and strengthening areas related to cognitive regulation and emotional control. In addition, reducing stress hormone levels and modulating physiological responses related to anxiety are other effective biological mechanisms of hypnotherapy. Hypnotherapy has been shown to significantly reduce emotional distress. Hypnotherapy can be a valuable tool in dealing with emotional distress by accessing and modifying unconscious patterns that contribute to negative thoughts and feelings. This method can help individuals to have better emotional regulation, reduce anxiety and depression, and process past trauma. Hypnotherapy, by creating a state of relaxation, allows individuals to examine and modify negative thought patterns, leading to lasting positive changes in their emotional health. The results of the present study showed that Ericksonian hypnotherapy has a significant effect on emotional distress in women with psychosomatic disorders referred to treatment centers in Yazd and can lead to improvement in emotional distress in these women. Therefore, individual Ericksonian hypnotherapy can probably be used as an effective treatment to improve emotional distress in women with psychosomatic disorders.
Type of Study: Original Research Article |
Subject:
Psychology
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