Intensive hypnotherapy for smoking cessation: a prospective study.
This study reports on a prospective pilot trial of intensive hypnotherapy for smoking cessation. The hypnotherapy involved multiple individual sessions (8 visits) over approximately 2 months, individualization of hypnotic suggestions, and a supportive therapeutic relationship. Twenty subjects were randomly assigned to either an intensive hypnotherapy condition or to a wait-list control condition. The target quitting date was 1 week after beginning treatment. Patients were evaluated for smoking cessation at the end of treatment and at Weeks 12 and 26. Self-reported abstinence was confirmed by a carbon-monoxide concentration in expired air of 8 ppm or less. The rates of point prevalence smoking cessation, as confirmed by carbon-monoxide measurements for the intensive hypnotherapy group, was 40% at the end of treatment; 60% at 12 weeks, and 40% at 26 weeks (p < .05).
Elkins
Gary
G
Scott and White Memorial Hospital and Clinic, Temple, Texas, USA. gelkins@swmail.sw.org
Marcus
Joel
J
Bates
Jeff
J
Hasan Rajab
M
M
Cook
Teresa
T
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006990:Hypnosis / Q000379:methods*; D007092:Imagination; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012063:Relaxation; D012907:Smoking / Q000628:therapy*; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000379:methods*