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Intl. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, Vol. 56, No. 3, March 2008: pp. 1–19
I
HYPNOTHERAPY IN THE TREATMENT
OF CHRONIC COMBAT-RELATED PTSD
PATIENTS SUFFERING FROM INSOMNIA:
A Randomized, Zolpidem-Controlled Clinical Trial
Combat-Related Ptsd Insomnia Clinical Trial
EITAN G. ABRAMOWITZ ET AL.
E
ITAN
G. A
BRAMOWITZ
, Y
ORAM
B
ARAK
,
I
RIT
B
EN
-A
VI
,
AND
H
AIM
Y. K
NOBLER
1
Israel Defense Forces, Mental Health Department, Israel
Abstract:
This study evaluated the benefits of add-on hypnotherapy
in patients with chronic PTSD. Thirty-two PTSD patients treated by
SSRI antidepressants and supportive psychotherapy were random-
ized to 2 groups: 15 patients in the first group received Zolpidem
10 mg nightly for 14 nights, and 17 patients in the hypnotherapy
group were treated by symptom-oriented hypnotherapy, twice-a-
week 1.5-hour sessions for 2 weeks. All patients completed the
Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale, Form C, Beck Depression
Inventory, Impact of Event Scale, and Visual Subjective Sleep Quality
Questionnaire before and after treatment. There was a significant main
effect of the hypnotherapy treatment with PTSD symptoms as mea-
sured by the Posttraumatic Disorder Scale. This effect was preserved
at follow-up 1 month later. Additional benefits for the hypnotherapy
group were decreases in intrusion and avoidance reactions and
improvement in all sleep variables assessed.
The treatment of insomnia is well researched and reported (Maczai,
1993; Rosekind, 1992); however, there are few clinical research studies
on the hypnotherapeutic treatment of sleep disorders. Stanton (1989)
conducted a controlled clinical study with 45 subjects matched on their
baseline sleep-onset latency and then randomly assigned to one of
three treatment conditions: hypnotherapy, stimulus control, and placebo
treatment. A significant reduction in sleep-onset latency was found
only in the hypnotherapy group.
The treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one of the
most challenging areas for hypnotherapy. Therapists are required to
adopt and to compare very different treatment models at different
stages of the treatment. The goals of treating patients suffering from
trauma were lineated by Janet as early as 1924 (Janet, 1924). Hypnosis
Manuscript submitted December 6, 2006; final revision accepted May 1, 2007.
1
Address correspondence to Eitan G. Abramowitz, M.D., Senior Psychiatrist, Combat
Stress Reaction Unit, IDF, Emek Haelah St., 91/3 71700, Modiin, Israel. E-mail: eitanmd@
zahav.net.il
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