Hypnotizability and dissociation

Article Abstract:

Dissociation and hypnotizability have been closely interrelated psychiatric areas since the nineteenth century. Aspects of both dissociation and hypnotism are frequently pertinent in the same patient. Dissociation refers to the disunion of mind of which a person is unaware. However, the use of this term has often been nonspecific and has lacked clarity. Hypnotism refers to an induced sleeplike state during which the patient is peculiarly susceptible to the suggestion of the hypnotist. In recent years, hypnotism has undergone somewhat of a clinical revival, which has been reinforced by the concept of dissociation, along with studies by clinical investigators and experimental psychologists in the area of hypnotizability. The author has reviewed these two concepts and provided an historical perspective, including a short discussion of Mesmer's early exploration of 'magnetic sleep'. Earlier perspectives on dissociation by Janet and Freud are presented, along with the more current theories of Hilgard on the topic. Hypnotism and dissociation are similar to concepts such as unconscious and hysteria in that the theories about them are generally accepted, but the terms themselves lack a focused definition. Central to the concept of dissociation is the idea of disconnectedness, or the inability to integrate knowledge, control, identity, or memory. Hypnosis has a range of dimensions and there are several factors that can influence the hypnotic state. Hypnotism has been clinically used in cases of severe trauma and multiple personality. However, its implications for the treatment of neurosis and simple behavior modification, such as to help people quit smoking, are less clear. In cases of dramatic amnesia, and when there are obvious symptoms of discontinuity of consciousness, dissociation and the hypnotic state seem to clearly overlap. However, in other cases with less serve and less clearly defined symptoms, these two concepts may or may not be appropriately viewed together, and are less interchangeable in the analysis of the patient. Evaluation of a patient's dissociative capacity and his score on the hypnosis scale are not necessarily interdependent. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Dissociation (Psychology), Dissociative disorders, Hypnotic susceptibility

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Disturbed body image in patients with eating disorders

Article Abstract:

An ongoing controversy in the eating disorders literature centers on whether a disturbance in body image (e.g., feeling fat when one is actually emaciated) is a necessary criterion for a diagnosis of anorexia nervosa. To examine this issue, 214 women diagnosed either with anorexia nervosa (87 patients), bulimia nervosa (55 patients), or anorexia plus bulimia nervosa (72 patients) were studied and compared with 61 volunteers without eating disorders who served as a control group. All participants were asked to assess their own bodies and adjust a tape measure to demonstrate their perceived, desired, and actual body size and to answer a written questionnaire regarding perceptions about their bodies. They were also given a battery of tests including standardized intelligence and memory tests. Subjectively perceived body images were compared with ideal body weight as identified by the 1959 Metropolitan Life Tables. Analysis of the data revealed that all three patient groups had significantly greater body image distortions than controls. However, there were no significant differences found in type or amount of distortion between patient groups. While most of the patients had distorted body images, not all did. It was discovered that patients with eating disorders and body distortions demonstrated significantly higher verbal intelligence quotient (IQ) scores than performance IQ scores. This suggests that body image distortion may be related to relatively lower right brain cortical hemisphere functioning. The finding that bulimic and anorectic patients had similar types and degrees of body image distortion was unexpected, and requires further evaluation. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Women, Beliefs, opinions and attitudes, Eating disorders, Bulimia, Body image, Anorexia nervosa

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Hypnotizability of psychiatric inpatients according to two different scales

Article Abstract:

Hypnotizability, the ease with which a person can be hypnotized, may vary for different kinds of psychiatric patients. Some researchers have claimed that psychotic patients, for instance, are impossible to hypnotize, while others have recommended hypnosis to treat schizophrenics. However, many of the studies compared mentally ill people with normal controls, rather than with each other. Another reason for disagreement regarding the hypnotizability of psychiatric inpatients could be the use of different indexes of hypnotizability. To assess this characteristic in psychiatric patients, five diagnostic groups were compared using two standardized hypnosis scales, the Hypnotic Induction Profile (HIP) and the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale (SHSS). The subjects, all inpatients, were classified according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, third edition, as suffering from either schizophrenic disorders, major depression, substance use disorders, anorexia nervosa, or bulimia. Control subjects were Stanford University students. Hypnotizability of all subjects was rated on both hypnotic scales over a two-week interval. Differences were found between patients and controls when the HIP, but not the SHSS, was used. Furthermore, although some differences in hypnotizability were found among patient groups using one scale, these were not consistent findings for both scales. Research on hypnotizability should attempt to standardize the scale used and the method of hypnosis employed; at the least, these factors should be reported so accurate evaluation of results can be made. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Measurement, Testing, Psychiatric hospital patients, Stanford hypnotic susceptibility scale

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