Hypnosis and smoking: a review of the literature

One-Session Hypnotherapy for Smoking: A Controlled Study

Comparing groups of 10 patients receiving a formal induction plus suggestions, suggestions alone, and no treatment, 3-mo. success rates were 60%, 40%, and 0%, respectively. History of a mother who smoked correlated with success, and history of a smoking-related illness correlated with failure. The technique was described.

Hypnosis and suggestion-based approaches to smoking cessation: an examination of the evidence

This article reviews 59 studies of hypnosis and smoking cessation as to whether the research empirically supports hypnosis as a treatment. Whereas hypnotic procedures generally yield higher rates of abstinence relative to wait-list and no-treatment conditions, hypnotic interventions are generally comparable to a variety of nonhypnotic treatments. The evidence for whether hypnosis yields outcomes superior to placebos is mixed. In short, hypnosis cannot be considered a specific and efficacious treatment for smoking cessation. Furthermore, in many cases, it is impossible to rule out cognitive/behavioral and educational interventions as the source of positive treatment gains associated with hypnotic treatments. Hypnosis cannot, as yet, be regarded as a well-established treatment for smoking cessation. Nevertheless, it seems justified to classify hypnosis as a "possibly efficacious" treatment for smoking cessation.

A randomized trial comparing smoking cessation programs utilizing behaviour modification, health education or hypnosis

The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of hypnosis, health education, and behaviour modification programs for cigarette smoking cessation. A randomized clinical trial comparing these three programs and a control group was conducted in 168 volunteers. Follow-up data three weeks after completion was available in 140 subjects. Each program showed significant reductions in reported cigarette consumption and serum thiocyanate levels, an indicator of long-term cigarette consumption, compared to entry and to the control group. However, there were no significant differences between the hypnosis, health education, or behaviour modification groups with respect to the proportion who reported quitting smoking, the number cigarettes smoked or change in serum thiocyanate levels. Reported cigarette consumption ascertained six months later again showed no significant differences between these three approaches. Factors such as subject age, age at starting cigarette smoking, educational level, marital status, spouse or partners smoking did not identify subgroups with differences between treatment responses. Thus, hypnosis, health education, and behaviour modification are each effective programs for changing cigarette smoking and each is equally effective in this regard.

Hypnosis with medical/surgical patients

The role of hypnosis as a tool in the treatment of problems commonly encountered among medical and surgical patients is examined. Hypnosis is defined as a change in state of mind far more akin to intense concentration than sleep. Diagnostic implications of differences in hypnotic responsivity are explored, and scales suitable for use in the clinic are examined. Uses of hypnosis in treating anxiety, pain, childbirth, psychosomatic symptoms, seizure disorders, neuromuscular dysfunction, and habits are described and evaluated. The phenomenon of hypnosis is presented as a means of exploring the mind-body relationship in a controlled fashion, providing information of diagnostic importance while at the same time allowing hypnotizable patients to intensify their concentration and interpersonal receptivity in the service of a therapeutic goal.

Behavioral approaches to smoking cessation--II. Topical bibliography 1969-1979

This topical bibliography covers that past decade of research into behavioral approaches to smoking cessation. Using multiple sources, including Psychological Abstracts, 335 reference were compiled from over 50 psychology, medicine, and related behavioral science journals. All references were comprehensively coded for each of 28 topical area of interest to behavioral researchers and clinicians. Topics include specific behavioral smoking cessation techniques (e.g. aversive smoking, relaxation techniques, stimulus control), treatment problems (e.g. maintenance problems and procedures, physiological correlates of smoking behavior, therapist and treatment factors influencing outcome). An index defining each topical and listing by number all articles related to each topic is included with the bibliography (Tables 1 and 2). With this index, users with specialized interests can quickly locate all citations concerning a particular topic or combination of topics. The preceding article (Orleans et al., 1981) gives guidelines for expanding this bibliography for personal reference use.

Satiation and sensory deprivation combined in smoking therapy: some case studies and unexpected side-effects

Two promising techniques for smoking reduction, sensory deprivation and stimulus satiation, were applied in combination to five smokers. All were successful initially in achieving abstinence and four ultimately in maintaning abstinence. The issue of possible side-effects is worth considering. Quitting per se and both satiation and sensory deprivation may be stressful and as a result may potentially produce negative side effects. The observation of positive side-effects in these cases balances this possibility to some extent.

The effects of hypnotic susceptibility on reducing smoking behavior treated by an hypnotic technique

This study sought to obtain empirical data on the issue of whether susceptibility to hypnosis influences the outcome of an hypnotic therapy. At the first of two sessions, Ss had their susceptibility evaluated unobtrusively. At the second session, they learned Spiegel's self-hypnotic method to stop smoking. At the end of 3 months' follow-up 7 of 54 volunteers were completely abstinent (13%), while 31% had reduced smoking by 50% or more. Of the 7 totally abstaining Ss, 1 was high, 1 was low and 5 were medium susceptible, which is not unlike the distribution of hypnotic susceptibility in the general population. However, it was found that significantly more Ss of higher susceptibility reduced by 50% or more than did less susceptible Ss.