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ASSEN ALLADIN AND ALISHA ALIBHAI
Implications of empirically supported hypnotherapy (ESH).
Although
Amundson, Alladin, and Gill (2003) have argued that effectiveness-
based research may emerge “as a second research-based emphasis of
perhaps greater significance for the field of clinical hypnosis” (p. 13),
in the present age of managed care and evidence-based treatment, it is
essential to pursue efficacy-based research. This suggestion does not
inhibit the continuation of effectiveness-based research. See the paper
by Alladin, Sabatini, and Amundson (in this issue) for the implication
of ESH for hypnosis professional organizations in terms of clinical
practice, research, training, and education of the public.
S
UMMARY
Hypnosis provides a broad range of short-term techniques, which can
be easily integrated with CBT to enhance treatment outcome. The study
described in this paper represents the first controlled comparison of hyp-
notherapy (CH) with a well-established psychotherapy (CBT) for depres-
sion. The study clearly demonstrates the superiority of CH over CBT in
the management of clinical depression. The study clearly shows that the
addition of hypnotherapy—an extra component to CBT, which largely
focuses on changing behaviors and automatic thoughts—enhances treat-
ment outcome. Since hypnotherapy consisted of several subcomponents,
at this point it is not known which of the subcomponents were most
important. Further studies using a dismantling design will be able to clar-
ify the issue. Moreover, the study has a major weakness; it was con-
ducted in one setting. It should be expanded and replicated to achieve
the APA status of well-established treatment for depression. CH meets
the APA criteria for probably efficacious treatment for depression. Con-
ducting this kind of research can facilitate clinical hypnosis being recog-
nized as a respectable and valid form of psychotherapy.
R
EFERENCES
Alladin, A. (1989). Cognitive-hypnotherapy for depression. In D. Waxman, D. Pederson,
I. Wilkie, & P. Mellett (Eds.),
Hypnosis: The 4th European Congress at Oxford
. London:
Whurr.
Alladin, A. (1992a). Depression as a dissociative state.
Hypnos: Swedish Journal of Hypnosis
in Psychotherapy and Psychosomatic Medicine
, 19, 243–253.
Alladin, A. (1994). Cognitive hypnotherapy with depression.
Journal of Cognitive Psycho-
therapy: An International Quarterly, 8
, 275–288.
Alladin, A. (1992b). Hypnosis with depression.
American Journal of Preventive Psychiatry
and Neurology, 3
, 13–18.
Alladin, A. (1994). Cognitive hypnotherapy with depression.
Journal of Cognitive Psycho-
therapy: An International Quarterly
,
8
, 275–288.
Alladin, A. (2006a). Cognitive hypnotherapy for treating depression. In R. Chapman
(Ed.),
The clinical use of hypnosis with cognitive behavior therapy: A practitioner's casebook
(pp. 139–187). New York: Springer.
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