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that the addition of hypnosis to cognitive-
behavioral therapy produces an increase
in therapeutic effect.
44
It has been suggested
that comparative, dismantling, constructive,
and process-oriented research strategies are required
to examine the efficacy of different
therapeutic components, and to identify the
most effective component(s) or combination.
14,45
Such evaluations should consider
the efficacy of the relative components for certain
patient groups, taking into account factors
such as age and hypnotizability at the
cognitive-developmental level. The benefit
of hypnosis needs to be considered against
different psychological therapies, such as
relaxation, autogenic training, distraction,
and visualization techniques. Such knowledge
may facilitate the ability to tailor a clinically effective
intervention to the specific needs of the
child. Although the studies included in this review
suggest that adverse effects of hypnosis
are limited, further research should consider
the safety and acceptability of this technique
when used with children.
In addition to the proposals mentioned
above, future research should also consider assessing
any misconceptions surrounding the
intervention that parents of children might
have. This could include their expectations