title: Effects of supportive-expressive group therapy on pain in women with metastatic breast cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine whether a group intervention including hypnosis can reduce cancer pain and trait hypnotizability would moderate these effects.
  
  
  METHODS
  This randomized clinical trial examined the effects of group therapy with hypnosis (supportive-expressive group therapy) plus education compared to an education-only control condition on pain over 12 months among 124 women with metastatic breast cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pain and suffering, frequency of pain, and degree of constant pain were assessed at baseline and 4-month intervals. Those in the treatment group also reported on their experiences using the hypnosis exercises.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Intention-to-treat analyses indicated that the intervention resulted in significantly less increase in the intensity of pain and suffering over time, compared to the education-only group, but had no significant effects on the frequency of pain episodes or amount of constant pain, and there was no interaction of the intervention with hypnotizability. Within the intervention group, highly hypnotizable participants, compared to those less hypnotizable, reported greater benefits from hypnosis, employed self-hypnosis more often outside of group, and used it to manage other symptoms in addition to pain.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results augment the growing literature supporting the use of hypnosis as an adjunctive treatment for medical patients experiencing pain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine., USA. ldbutler@buffalo.edu
authors.forename: Lisa D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Butler
authors.forename: Cheryl
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Koopman
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Neri
authors.forename: Janine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Giese-Davis
authors.forename: Oxana
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Palesh
authors.forename: Krista A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Thorne-Yocam
authors.forename: Sue
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dimiceli
authors.forename: Xin-Hua
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fobair
authors.forename: Helena C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Kraemer
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Spiegel
mesh_terms: D000008:Abdominal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000556:secondary*; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001293:Attitude to Death; D001326:Autogenic Training; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000556:secondary*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D018450:Disease Progression; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006266:Health Education; D006801:Humans; D006990:Hypnosis; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000523:psychology*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010146:Pain / Q000523:psychology; D059408:Pain Management; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011615:Psychotherapy, Group / Q000379:methods*; D012803:Sick Role; D012944:Social Support; D013899:Thoracic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000556:secondary*