The effects of using hypnosis for treating anxiety in outpatients diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) affects many people. Lifetime prevalence is 3.6% for men and 6.6% for women. Currently, the most popular methods of treatment for GAD are cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and/or medication. Hypnosis is an alternative method of treatment that could eliminate some of the negative components associated with standard treatments, such as side effects of medications or the length of time other forms of therapy take. There is a gap in the literature involving the use of hypnosis to treat GAD. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether hypnosis is an effective method for treating anxiety in an outpatient population diagnosed with GAD. This study was based on psychoanalytic and neodissociation theories. The Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) scores of 60 clients who had been diagnosed with GAD were used to answer the research question of whether hypnosis was as effective as CBT in reducing their anxiety. Data were obtained from the archived records of a local licensed mental health therapist's private practice. The pre and post hypnosis BAI scores of 30 clients who received only hypnosis were compared to the pre and post CBT BAI scores of 30 clients who received only CBT. The scores on these tests were analyzed using t tests and analyses of variance, which showed evidence that hypnosis was as effective as CBT for treating GAD. This study may allow for positive social change by identifying another method for treating GAD that could be beneficial for both patients and therapists. It may open up the doors for another accepted form of treatment that can be faster and more cost-efficient in improving the quality of life of persons suffering from GAD.