Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Exploring The Underutilized Potential Of Clinical Hypnosis: A Scoping Review Of Healthcare Professionals’ Perceptions, Knowledge, And Attitudes, Malwina Szmaglinska, Lesley Andrew, Debbie Massey, Deborah Kirk

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The perceptions, knowledge, and attitudes of healthcare professionals (GPs, oncologists, nurses, midwives and obstetricians, anesthetists, mental health professionals, and other professionals) toward hypnosis are explored in this scoping review. Despite proven effectiveness in various health conditions, the use of hypnosis in healthcare has stagnated, emphasizing a gap between research and practice. Data from 35 studies (1995–2023) were analyzed, revealing predominantly positive attitudes and interest in training. Professionals with more knowledge and experience had favorable attitudes toward hypnosis compared to those with limited exposure or understanding of the practice. The main obstacles were insufficient time and inadequate training. Considering the growing …