Hypnosis interventions for reducing test anxiety among students: A systematic review

Abstract

AbstractTest anxiety is a distinct fear of exams that is highly upsetting and can seriously impair academic performance and generate negative behavioural, physiological, and emotional responses. Numerous methods are available for managing and reducing test anxiety. This review examined the effectiveness of hypnosis in reducing test anxiety among students. Five databases were searched for articles published between 2000 and 2021: Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, EBSCOhost, and SAGE. The electronic search identified 445 studies, of which 12 studies with 515 students met the eligibility requirements. The reviewed hypnosis intervention studies were highly diverse. Overall, the findings show that hypnosis helps decrease test anxiety among students. Further rigorous research with extended follow-up periods is required to fully understand the potential of hypnosis. Importantly, hypnosis interventions can be used to address students’ specific test anxiety conditions in schools and universities.

Keywords

• test anxiety
• hypnosis
• self-hypnosis
• systematic review
• effectiveness