The effect of hypnosis on perceived stress in women with preeclampsia
Volume 12, Issue 3, March 2022, Pages 1-7
. Sedighe Vahdat, . Mahdi Fathi, . Zhaleh Feyzi, . Mohammad Taghi Shakeri, . Mahin Tafazoli
Abstract BACKGROUND: Perceived stress is one of the causes of preeclampsia; one of the ways to manage
mental stress is hypnosis. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of hypnosis on perceived
stress in women with preeclampsia.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: This randomized clinical trial was performed on 80 (40 people in each
group) pregnant women 28–32 weeks with preeclampsia and hospitalized in two public hospitals in
Mashhad in 2020. The Cohen Perceived Stress Questionnaire was first completed in two groups.
Then, in the intervention group, three half‑hour sessions of hypnosis were performed with an interval
of 3 days (hypnosis consists of three sessions: each session is held for three consecutive nights).
After each session, the intervention package, which included recording the dialogs of each session
for posthypnotic suggestion, was delivered to the mothers on a CD to listen to every night before
bed. The control group received routine care. Then, 2 weeks after the intervention, the Perceived
Stress Questionnaire was completed by both groups. The results were analyzed by independent
t‑test, paired t‑test, Mann–Whitney, Chi‑square, Friedman and covariance tests, and by SPSS 16.
RESULTS: At the beginning of the study, there was no statistically significant difference between
demographic characteristics and the perceived stress score before the intervention between the two
groups (P > 0.05). However, after the intervention, the mean perceived stress score was a statistically
significant difference between the intervention and control groups (P = 0.005). Perceived stress after
the intervention was significantly reduced in the intervention group, which was significant between
the two groups.
CONCLUSION: Perceived stress in mothers with preeclampsia is reduced by hypnosis.