The effectiveness of mindful hypnotherapy on difficulties in emotion regulation, mindfulness, and mental health in patients with major depressive disorder.
Hassan Khazraee, Maryam Bakhtiari, Amir Sam Kianimoghadam, Elaheh Ghorbanikhah
Journal of education and health promotion January 1, 2023 DOI: 10.4103/jehp.jehp_1473_22 via PubMed
Summary
A single-blinded randomized clinical trial tested mindful hypnotherapy for major depressive disorder. Thirty-four patients in Tehran, Iran, were assigned to either the intervention or a wait-list control group. After treatment and at a two-month follow-up, the intervention group showed a clinically significant decrease in difficulties in emotion regulation (mean scores dropping from 123.75 to 76.19 and then 68.00) and significant increases in mindfulness (from 93.06 to 149.43 and 144.18) and mental health (from 19.63 to 51.62 and 48.50). Mindful hypnotherapy appears effective for improving emotion regulation, mindfulness, and mental health in major depressive disorder.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 34 |
| Population | Patients with major depressive disorder referred by clinical psychologists in Tehran, Iran |
| Intervention | Mindful hypnotherapy |
| Duration | 8-week intervention, 2-month follow-up |
| Topics | Depression Meditation |
| Keywords | Emotion regulation Mental-health Mindful hypnotherapy |
| Citations | 6 |
| Key finding | Mindful hypnotherapy led to clinically significant decreases in difficulties in emotion regulation and significant increases in mindfulness and mental health in patients with major depressive disorder. |
Abstract
More than 300 million people are affected by major depressive disorder, and despite advances in treatments over the past 50 years, this number is increasing worldwide. Due to the high prevalence and increasing numbers, along with problems in various aspects of the patient's life, new effective treatments are essential in this field. This study was a single-blinded randomized clinical trial. Thirty-four patients with major depressive disorder who were referred by clinical psychologists in the clinical psychology clinic of the Taleghani Hospital, Tehran, Iran, were selected by purposive sampling method and randomly assigned to the intervention and wait-list control groups. The Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale, the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, and the Mental Health Continuum Short Form were administered during the baseline and post treatment. Analyses of covariance and the repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) procedure were performed to determine the difference between study groups. The results of the analysis of covariance and repeated measures ANOVA showed a clinically significant decrease in difficulties in emotion regulation and a significant increase in mindfulness and mental health in the intervention group (P < 0.001). The mean score (standard deviation) of the difficulties in emotion regulation scores was 123.75 (21.10) in the experimental group at baseline and significantly decreased to 76.19 (26.45) and 68.00 (22.83) after the intervention and two-month follow-up, respectively (P < 0.001). Additionally, the mean scores (standard deviation) for mindfulness and mental health were 93.06 (8.23) and 19.63 (7.92), respectively, at baseline and significantly increased to 149.43 (16.99) and 51.62 (9.78), respectively, after the intervention and to 144.18 (20.55) and 48.50 (13.52) after a two-month follow-up (P < 0.001). The results show that mindful hypnotherapy is an effective treatment for improving difficulties in emotion regulation, mindfulness, and mental health in patients with major depressive disorder.