Effectiveness of hypnotherapy in the treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Abstract

Background: attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder is inconsistent with the development of the individual and frequent during childhood.Objective: to assess the effectiveness of a hypnotherapeutic model in patients with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder treated at the Hypnotherapeutic Clinic of Santiago de Cuba, from January through July 2019.Methods: a quantitative, quasi-experimental research was carried out, structured in three phases (diagnosis, intervention and assessment). The universe included all the diagnosed individuals that presented to the aforementioned clinic and during the period herein declared. Using intentional non-probabilistic sampling 20 patients were chosen who did not have psychotherapeutic treatment at the moment of research. McNemar chi-square test made it possible to assess the effectiveness of the model. The following variables were assessed: age, sex, psychological manifestations, treatment and psychological and clinical response.Results: there was predominance of patients aged 6 to 9 years (95 %) and of the male sex (88,3 %). Before the intervention there was a higher incidence of impulsiveness-irritability, hyperactivity and attention deficit (X2C=4); sleep disorders (X2C=4,17) and shyness (X2C=5,14). After the intervention there was no expression of anxiety, insecurity, fear, shyness and sleep disorders. The psychological and clinical responses at the end of the intervention were favorable and adequate (X2C=4); only one individual could not attain significant modifications of his condition.Conclusions: hypnotherapy proved to be effective in the treatment of the upset of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Keywords

• attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity
• psychotherapy