Effectiveness of Cognitive-Behavioral Hypnotherapy (CBH) on Cognitive Avoidance and Perceived Stress in Individuals with Symptoms of Generalized Anxiety
Keywords:
Cognitive-Behavioral Hypnotherapy, Cognitive Avoidance, Perceived Stress, Generalized Anxiety, Psychological InterventionAbstract
The present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of Cognitive-Behavioral Hypnotherapy (CBH) on cognitive avoidance and perceived stress in individuals with symptoms of generalized anxiety. This quasi-experimental study employed a pretest–posttest design with a control group. The statistical population consisted of individuals with symptoms of generalized anxiety who referred to licensed counseling, psychotherapy, and psychiatric centers in Isfahan during the fourth quarter of 2024. A total of 40 participants were selected through purposive sampling and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups (20 participants in each group). The experimental group received Cognitive-Behavioral Hypnotherapy in eight 60-minute sessions (two sessions per week over four weeks), while the control group received no intervention. Data were collected using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7), Cognitive Avoidance Questionnaire (CAQ), and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-14). Data analysis was performed using multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) through SPSS version 26. The results of covariance analysis indicated that after controlling for pretest scores, there were significant differences between the experimental and control groups in posttest scores of cognitive avoidance and perceived stress (P<0.001). The findings demonstrated that Cognitive-Behavioral Hypnotherapy significantly reduced cognitive avoidance (F=6.39) and perceived stress (F=10.3) in the experimental group compared with the control group. Effect size values also indicated a considerable impact of the intervention on improving the examined psychological variables. The findings demonstrated that Cognitive-Behavioral Hypnotherapy can be considered an effective psychological intervention for reducing cognitive avoidance and perceived stress among individuals with symptoms of generalized anxiety. The integration of cognitive-behavioral techniques with hypnotherapy strategies may reduce cognitive and emotional difficulties associated with generalized anxiety by modifying dysfunctional cognitive patterns, improving emotional regulation, and enhancing individuals’ sense of control.
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