Clinical Hypnosis as an Adjunct to Cognitive Behavior Therapy: An Updated Meta-Analysis.

In 1995, Kirsch and colleagues published an influential meta-analysis (k = 20, = 577) which found that CBT enhanced with hypnosis (CBTH) was superior to CBT alone by at least  = .53. However, a lack of full replication and the emergence of new empirical studies prompted this updated analysis. A total of 48 post- ( = 1,928) and 25 follow-up treatments ( = 1,165) were meta-analyzed. CBTH achieved small to medium but statistically significant advantages over CBT at posttreatment ( = .25 to .41), and specifically in the management of depressed mood and pain. At follow-up, there was a medium sized advantage for CBTH ( = .54 to .59), and specifically for the treatment of obesity. These results further support the adjunctive use of hypnosis as an enhancer of CBT's efficaciousness and endurance as a treatment.