A systematic review and meta-analysis of five randomized controlled trials found that mindful hypnotherapy—an intervention combining hypnotic induction with mindfulness suggestions—produced large reductions in psychological distress (effect size 0.61) and stress (0.75), and a large increase in mindfulness (1.38) compared to waitlist and active control groups. The authors recommend future research on a wider range of clinical problems, use of active controls, measures of hypnotizability, and studies with diverse populations.
Smartphone apps that deliver hypnotherapy vary widely in quality. A systematic review of app stores identified 679 unique hypnosis apps, of which 168 met inclusion criteria. The most common targets were sleep (56.0%), relaxation/meditation (54.8%), and stress (36.9%). Only 20.2% of apps indicated the developer or hypnosis provider was trained in hypnosis, 7.7% included claims of evidence-based treatment, and just four apps reported inclusion in a clinical efficacy trial. Although hypnotherapy apps have potential, apps based on evidence-based protocols and empirical research remain limited.