Hong Kongers often experience unexplained bowel movements, such as diarrhea or constipation. It is also easy to observe that abdominal discomfort often accompanies stress. Emotional disturbances and stress can affect intestinal function.
Our body’s alarm system is already activated and is expressed as a characteristic of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Professor Siu-man Ng from the School of Social Work and Social Management at the University of Hong Kong points out that the etiology of IBS is not completely clear.
The cause may be related to intestinal abnormalities such as congenital visceral hypersensitivity or long-term stress. It causes a series of symptoms due to internal organ dysfunction. The global prevalence of IBS is 13.5.. The prevalence of IBS among adults in Hong Kong is estimated to be approximately 7%. This trend is becoming stronger in Asian societies as well.
When it comes to relieving IBS symptoms, overseas studies have pointed out that in addition to drug therapy, various alternative therapies (including hypnotherapy) have shown various levels of effectiveness.
Hypnotherapy has given the public the impression that it is “mysterious” or “special.” In fact, it’s a type of psychotherapy. There are evidence-based studies that have proven its effectiveness for IBS, but they are from overseas. Furthermore, these studies have focused on traditional hypnotherapy, in which hypnotic suggestions are primarily provided by counselors according to established scripts and guidelines.
About integrative hypnotherapy (also known as Ericksonian hypnotherapy), awaits rigorous clinical research, whether in the local context of Hong Kong or abroad. Integrative hypnotherapy was founded by psychiatrist Dr. Milton Erickson, and its hypnotic suggestions are tailored by a counselor with reference to the uniqueness of each client’s situation and symptoms.
Considering the above situation, the University of Hong Kong School of Social Work and Social Management conducted an evidence-based study on hypnotherapy for IBS in 2017. The aim was to explore alternative treatments that could lead to full recovery for people suffering from IBS. .
It employed a three-group randomized controlled trial, which is a qualitative research methodology. A total of 144 IBS patients participated in this study. Inclusion criteria were: (1) a Chinese adult between the ages of 18 and 60; (2) he was diagnosed with IBS according to Rome III criteria 4; and (3) he was treated with IBS-related drugs without success. He was an individual.
Participants were randomly assigned to one of the experimental groups: 1. Integrated Hypnosis Group (IH), 2. Traditional Hypnosis Group (TH), or the control group Educational Talk (ET); I received a service that lasted 3 months. The intervention included a series of hypnotherapy groups led by a registered social worker with professional hypnotherapy training. It taught subjects to practice self-hypnosis to deal with IBS symptoms. The group met four times a week. Each session he lasted three hours.
Participants were asked to complete a self-report questionnaire at baseline T.0(before intervention), 1 month later T1(immediately after completion of the 4-weekly session intervention), and 3-month follow-up after the third intervention T2. This study primarily examined the effectiveness of hypnotherapy for IBS patients in (1) reducing symptom severity, (2) improving quality of life, and ultimately (3) changing coping responses.
The research results have already been published and are expected to be formally published in June 2022. The main findings are:
1. Significant reduction in IBS symptoms immediately after completion of hypnotherapy or educational talk (continued for 1 month)
Symptom severity was measured by a standardized rating scale. Both the hypnotherapy group and the educational lecture showed a significant improvement in her IBS symptoms immediately after the intervention.
2. Sustained improvement after intervention, but only in the hypnotherapy group
IBS symptom severity scores further decreased 3 months after intervention completion. However, only the hypnotherapy group showed sustained improvement. And the amplitude of sustained improvement in the integrative hypnotherapy group was greater than in the conventional group. In contrast, lectures on education were met with backlash.
3. Hypnotherapy is associated with significant increases in mental health scores and sustained emotional improvement.
The study also found a significant increase in SF 12 health-related quality of life (mental component) scores immediately after completion of the intervention (lasting 1 month) in both the hypnotherapy group and the educational lecture. It was shown.
All interventions were noted to have immediate effects on improving mental health. Nevertheless, the persistence of emotional improvement in the integrative hypnotherapy group and the conventional hypnotherapy group was much more pronounced. In contrast, there has been a clear setback in the debate on education. It showed that there was a link between hypnotherapy and sustained emotional improvement.
4. Sustained improvement in coping responses seen only in the hypnotherapy group
Regarding coping responses to catastrophizing symptoms, both SC, hypnotherapy group and educational lecture improved immediately after the intervention. However, sustained improvements were limited to the hypnotherapy group. It was clear that the conversation about education did not change significantly throughout the study.
Results showed that only the integrative hypnotherapy group showed immediate and sustained improvements in symptom-related social hyperarousal, SSH (e.g., negative thoughts about symptoms, concealment of symptoms, purchasing absolute control) coping responses. It was shown that it was obtained. Changes across the intervention were not evident in the traditional hypnotherapy group. Significant setbacks were observed across educational dialogue interventions.
Overall, when comparing the results obtained from the studies, the main findings are (1)pHypnosis therapy for IBS participants has demonstrated significant positive results. Integrative and traditional approaches have shown varying levels of effectiveness in different areas. The existence of emotional and physiological relationships and their mutual influence in IBS was emphasized.
(2) The above results pointed to the immediate and short-term effects of providing information to IBS participants on both symptom relief and emotional well-being. However, (3) without emotional support or modulation of coping responses, only information provision resulted in IBS participants blindly purchasing absolute symptom control without any actual assistance.
(4) The most important discovery regarding hypnotherapy for IBS was its immediate and long-term effects. The effects are (a) symptom reduction, (b) hidden emotions, and (c) coping responses. With that in mind, our research study realized that the use of hypnotherapy has become a reality. Promoted sustained improvement in IBS.
sauce:
University of Hong Kong
Reference magazines:
Kortelinck, J.J.; other. (2015) Epidemiology of functional abdominal pain disorders in children: a meta-analysis..pro swan. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0126982.
