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Client centred hypnotherapy in the management of tinnitus – is it better than counselling?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 June 2007

J. D. T. Mason*
Affiliation:
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Derbyshire Royal Infirmary, Derby, UK.
D. R. Rogerson
Affiliation:
Department of Anaesthesia and Clinical Hypnosis, Derbyshire Royal Infirmary, Derby, UK.
J. D. Butler
Affiliation:
Department of Audiological Services, Derbyshire Royal Infirmary, Derby, UK.
*
Address for correspondence: Mr J. Mason, Department of Otolaryngology, Queen's University Hospital, Nottingham NG7 2UH. Fax: 01602 709196

Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess whether client centred hypnotherapy (CCH) which required three sessions with a trained therapist was superior to a single counselling session in reducing the impact of tinnitus.

Patients were randomly allocated to receive either counselling (n = 42) or CCH (n = 44). The outcome measures were: tinnitus loudness match, subjective tinnitus symptom severity score, trend of linear analogue scale, request for further therapy and whether the patient had an impression of improvement in their tinnitus after treatment.

CCH was no better than counselling in reducing the impact of tinnitus using the three quantative measures of tinnitus, and requests for further follow up.

The only significant difference between the two therapies was that 20 (45.5 per cent) of the CCH group reported a general sense of improvement compared to six (14.3 per cent) in the counselling group, this is significant p<O.Ol. The study did not demonstrate whether this was a genuine hypnotic effect or simply a response to the additional attention from the therapist.

Type
Main Articles
Copyright
Copyright © JLO (1984) Limited 1996

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