School of Nursing and Midwifery, Edith Cowan University, Western Australia, Australia.
School of Nursing and Midwifery, Edith Cowan University, Western Australia, Australia; La Trobe University, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Victoria, Australia.
Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2024 Aug;56:101861. doi: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2024.101861. Epub 2024 May 15.
Cancer remains a leading cause of death in Australia. The number of new cancer cases diagnosed each year is expected to surpass 200,000 by 2033. This marks a significant increase from about 88,000 cases in 2000 to an estimated 165,000 cases in 2023. Despite advancements in treatment, emotional and psychological challenges in cancer care are often overlooked. This study focuses on hypnotherapy, a complementary therapy recognized for its efficacy for physical and emotional symptoms, yet underutilized in Australian cancer care. The research aims to explore patients' perceptions of hypnotherapy and identify barriers to its integration, contributing to the development of holistic, patient-centered cancer care models.
A qualitative study employing semi-structured interviews was conducted with 14 adult cancer patients (breast, lung, and colorectal) undergoing active treatment, selected through convenience sampling. The interviews were carried out from May 2022 to August 2023, focusing on participants' experiences and attitudes toward hypnotherapy among other complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies. Thematic analysis using Braun and Clarke's six-step framework was applied to the data.
Five themes were developed following analysis: 1) emotional roller coaster of cancer diagnosis, 2) participants' perspectives on hypnotherapy among other CAM modalities, 3) hypnotherapy as a psychological vs physiological support, 4) fringe benefits of hypnosis, and 5) the main hurdles: cost and lack of information. Participants expressed a diverse range of experiences and attitudes towards hypnotherapy and CAM, with a strong emphasis on the need for emotional support in cancer care. Although hypnotherapy was recognized for its potential to address both emotional and physical symptoms, its predominant use was for emotional well-being. Participants also highlighted the importance of attitudes and endorsements from healthcare providers in their decision-making process about CAM therapies.
The study findings emphasize the need for a more integrative and patient-centered approach in cancer care that includes hypnotherapy as a non-pharmacological intervention for physical and particularly emotional support. Healthcare providers should be aware of the potential value of hypnotherapy and consider patient preferences in their recommendations. In addition, addressing the identified barriers could improve the accessibility and integration of hypnotherapy into cancer care protocols in Australia.
癌症仍然是澳大利亚主要的死亡原因。预计每年新诊断出的癌症病例数将从 2000 年的约 88000 例增加到 2033 年的 20 万例以上。尽管在治疗方面取得了进展，但癌症护理中的情绪和心理挑战往往被忽视。本研究重点关注催眠疗法，这是一种被认为对身体和情绪症状有效的补充疗法，但在澳大利亚癌症护理中未得到充分利用。该研究旨在探讨患者对催眠疗法的看法，并确定其整合的障碍，为开发整体、以患者为中心的癌症护理模式做出贡献。
采用半结构化访谈的定性研究方法，对 14 名正在接受积极治疗的成年癌症患者（乳腺癌、肺癌和结直肠癌）进行了研究，这些患者是通过便利抽样选择的。访谈于 2022 年 5 月至 2023 年 8 月进行，重点关注参与者对催眠疗法以及其他补充和替代医学（CAM）疗法的体验和态度。使用 Braun 和 Clarke 的六步框架对数据进行主题分析。
分析后得出了五个主题：1）癌症诊断的情绪过山车；2）参与者对催眠疗法与其他 CAM 模式的看法；3）催眠疗法作为心理支持与生理支持；4）催眠的附带好处；5）主要障碍：费用和缺乏信息。参与者对催眠疗法和 CAM 表达了多样化的体验和态度，强烈强调癌症护理中需要情感支持。尽管催眠疗法被认为具有缓解身体和情绪症状的潜力，但它主要用于情绪健康。参与者还强调了医疗保健提供者的态度和认可在他们对 CAM 疗法的决策过程中的重要性。
研究结果强调了在癌症护理中采用更具整体性和以患者为中心的方法的必要性，包括将催眠疗法作为一种非药物干预手段，为身体和特别是情绪提供支持。医疗保健提供者应该意识到催眠疗法的潜在价值，并考虑患者的偏好来提出建议。此外，解决已确定的障碍可以提高催眠疗法在澳大利亚癌症护理方案中的可及性和整合度。
