Hypnosis Apps: A Systematic Review.

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.

Study at a glance

Abstract

For over a decade, the growing use of smartphone apps provided a way to make hypnotherapy more widely accessible. However, available apps vary widely in the quality of hypnosis provided to users. This study systematically reviewed apps delivering some form of hypnotherapy intervention and summarized their characteristics. Using hypnosis-related search terms, a list of apps was generated, yielding 679 unique hypnosis apps across both Android and iOS stores, and 168 apps met inclusion criteria for this review. The most common app targets were sleep (k = 94, 56.0%), relaxation/meditation (k = 92, 54.8%), and stress (k = 62, 36.9%). Only 34 (20.2%) of the apps indicated that the developer or person providing hypnosis was trained in hypnosis. Thirteen (7.7%) apps included some claim of evidence-based treatment. Only four apps reported inclusion in a clinical efficacy trial. Relationships between key app characteristics were explored using chi-square analysis. Though hypnotherapy apps have much potential in health care, apps based upon evidence-based protocols and empirical research are limited at this time.