Hypnotizability and psychopathology.

The authors compared the hypnotic responsivity of 115 chronically ill psychiatric patients with that of 83 nonpatient volunteers. The Hypnotic Induction Profile was administered to all subjects, and diagnoses were established for the patients according to Research Diagnostic Criteria. All of the diagnosed patients (those with thought disorder, affective disorder, generalized anxiety, and miscellaneous disorders) were significantly less hypnotizable than the nonpatient comparison group. This effect was unrelated to age or medication differences. The authors discuss the implication of these findings in relation to a new model of hypnotic responsivity that takes into account the moderating effects of severe psychopathology.