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COGNITIVE HYPNOTHERAPY FOR DEPRESSION
149
Schoenberger (2000) proposed that since many CBT procedures are
easily conducted with hypnosis or simply relabeled as hypnosis, CBT-
oriented clinicians with experience in hypnosis could easily establish a
hypnotic context “as a simple, cost-effective means of enhancing treat-
ment efficacy” (p. 244). Moreover, Golden (2006) points out that CBT
and hypnosis share a number of commonalities such as imagery and
relaxation that make for a natural integration of the two approaches.
Similarly, Yapko (1992) has offered six clinical reasons for utilizing
hypnosis with depression: (a) hypnosis amplifies subjective experi-
ence, (b) hypnosis serves as a powerful method for interrupting symp-
tomatic pattern, (c) hypnosis facilitates experiential learning, (d)
hypnosis helps to bridge and to conceptualize responses, (e) hypnosis
provides different models of inner reality, and (f) hypnosis helps to
establish focus of attention.
The present study looked at comparing the effects of CBT with clini-
cal hypnosis (or cognitive hypnotherapy, CH) to empirically investigate
the additive effect of hypnosis in the management of chronic depres-
sion. The study also addressed the criticisms voiced by Burrows and
Boughton (2001) by clearly describing the hypnotic procedures used.
M
ETHOD
Subjects
Ninety-eight chronic outpatient depressives were randomly assigned
to either CH or CBT. The inclusion criteria involved the diagnosis of
chronic major depressive disorder based on the
Diagnostic and Statistical
Manual of Mental Disorders
(4th ed., text revision) (
DSM-IV-TR
;
American Psychiatric Association, 2000), a minimum objective score of
three on the Barber Suggestibility Scale (BSS; Barber & Wilson, 1978–
1979), and a current history of treatment by a recognized antidepressant
medication for at least 6 months by either a treating family physician or
a psychiatrist. During the study, attempts were made to maintain the
patients’ initial levels of medication. Subjects who presented comorbid
conditions such as a history of schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder,
current substance abuse, eating disorder, bipolar disorder, Obsessive-
Compulsive Disorder, organic mental disorder, pervasive developmen-
tal delay, or personality disorders were excluded from the study. The
16-week outpatient treatment was completed by the 84 participants, and
they were followed-up at 6 (42 weeks) (
N
= 79) and 12 (68 weeks) (
N
=
75) months. The sample included 43% men and 57% women, with a
mean age of 35.62 (
SD
= 12.02) years. The mean duration of participants’
depression was 5.92 (
SD
= 3.15) years. The sample comprised of
single (12%), married (58%), and separated or divorced (30%) subjects.
Table 1 shows the demographic details for the two treatment groups.
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