Making a Case for Hypnosis: Using the RE-AIM Framework to Recognize Hypnosis as a Stand-Alone Therapeutic Intervention within Healthcare and Educational Systems

Abstract

Hypnosis is emerging as a valuable therapeutic tool with significant potential for recognition and application across medical settings. Of particular note are the evidenced benefits when addressing pervasive challenges such as chronic pain, anxiety, and emotional distress, which are often exacerbated by medical procedures. However, despite its potential for wide utilization in medical contexts, recognition of hypnotherapy's efficacy remains slow and hypnosis is often a second choice, last resort or offered as an adjuvant or supporting role alongside other treatments. One reason is that hypnosis lacks a well-defined role within the healthcare system. This gap persists even as mounting evidence suggests that hypnosis offers the capacity to bring about relief and positive outcomes across diverse issues and populations. Author Sheila Menon, Principal and Administrator of a clinical hypnosis Training and Clinical Facility draws upon extensive experience in clinical intervention and administration to extract scientific values from empirically driven experiences and data. In this paper the RE-AIM Framework is utilised to explore the multifaceted potential of hypnosis in medical settings, shedding light on the need for a more clearly defined integration of this intervention into mainstream healthcare practices. The authors draw from the evidence to make a case that the time is right to recognise hypnosis as a stand-alone psychotherapy and that this will enhance its adoption, reach and efficacy. It is further suggested that rebranding or relabeling this intervention will remove unnecessary biases and make it easier to implement and maintain for the benefit of patients and to improve treatment outcomes. Purpose: the purpose of this study is to use the RE-AIM Framework to evaluate the existing research that consistently provides evidence for better inclusion of hypnosis and to identify new insights into how this useful treatment can be more easily adopted and utilized in the healthcare system based on its interventional strength. Methodology: This is a descriptive study based on secondary data collected from literature following a descriptive analysis. The RE-AIM Framework is used as a mechanism for evaluating hypnosis interventions and to establish a rationale for relabeling them as psychotherapy based on treatment outcomes, interventional strengths and its operative usage in the healthcare system The literature search extracts information from the electronic database to make the study more robust and the literature selected is drawn from those published in the past two decades using keywords such as hypnosis intervention, RE-AIM, hypnosis in health care, mental health, and hypnosis interventions in a medical setup. Conclusion: This study uses the RE-AIM to present a case for relabeling or rebranding hypnosis as a psychotherapy in its own right to enhance its adoption and reach within a wide range of healthcare settings. The research supports the interventional strength of hypnosis as ready for this form of evolution and suggests that the rebranding will encourage healthcare providers to use hypnosis as a primary treatment option rather than as an adjuvant or secondary treatment option. Best care practices will be advanced as a result and better adoption of hypnosis will encourage more research leading to enhanced efficacy and resulting in improved implementation models. The authors suggest that once hypnosis is relabeled as psychotherapy, its implementation becomes simple and cost-effective. The authors recommend rebranding hypnotherapy as Conscious–State Alteration Therapy to remove any residual biases associated with the name hypnosis (and to avoid the outdated practice of using it as a supporting therapy). They suggest that this process of rebranding follows the evolutionary wave that can occur within psychotherapy progression. The benefit is that the potential of hypnosis as a treatment option will be further extended into healthcare settings extending its use in the treatment of pain management, anxiety, stress, and emotional distress, expanding the benefits to a wider and more diverse group of patients and giving hypnosis a rightful place as a primary treatment option.