The Effectiveness of Cognitive Hypnotherapy on Meta-Worry and Emotional Reactivity in Patients with Panic Disorder
| Author | Nazanin Zahra Ariamanesh | en |
| Author | Rezvan Homaei | en |
| Author | Fariba Zargar Shirazi | en |
| Author | Sadrollah Khosravi | en |
| Author | Zahra Dasht Bozorgi | en |
| Orcid | Nazanin Zahra Ariamanesh [0000-0001-9544-8892] | en |
| Orcid | Rezvan Homaei [0000-0002-2014-9641] | en |
| Orcid | Fariba Zargar Shirazi [0000-0002-2401-0831] | en |
| Orcid | Sadrollah Khosravi [0000-0002-0213-8121] | en |
| Orcid | Zahra Dasht Bozorgi [0000-0003-1972-989X] | en |
| Issued Date | 2026-10-30 | en |
| Abstract | Background: Panic disorder is a debilitating anxiety condition frequently complicated by meta-worry—the detrimental cycle of worrying about worrying—and heightened emotional reactivity. These factors often hinder progress with conventional therapies. Objectives: This study investigated the efficacy of cognitive hypnotherapy in reducing meta-worry and emotional reactivity in patients with panic disorder. Methods: This pilot clinical trial included pretest, posttest, and 2-month follow-up assessments. The study population comprised adults aged 18 - 45 years with panic disorder in Shiraz, Iran. Twenty eligible patients were selected through purposive sampling and randomly assigned in equal numbers to the experimental and control groups. The experimental group received eight 90-minute cognitive hypnotherapy sessions, whereas the wait-list control group received no active intervention. The prespecified primary outcomes were meta-worry, measured using the Meta-Worry Questionnaire, and emotional reactivity, measured using the Emotion Reactivity Scale. The Panic Disorder Severity Scale-Self-Report was included as a secondary measure of clinical severity. Data were analyzed using repeated-measures analysis of variance. Results: Cognitive hypnotherapy significantly reduced meta-worry and emotional reactivity at posttest (P < 0.001). These improvements were preliminarily maintained over the 2-month follow-up period, suggesting short-term stability of the treatment effects. Conclusions: By integrating cognitive restructuring with hypnotic suggestibility, cognitive hypnotherapy may offer a promising complementary approach to managing the core symptoms of panic disorder. Larger trials are needed to confirm these preliminary findings. | en |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.5812/jhrt-174679 | en |
| URI | https://brieflands.com/journals/jhrt/articles/174679 | en |
| Keyword | Panic Disorder | en |
| Keyword | Hypnosis | en |
| Keyword | Emotions | en |
| Keyword | Cognitive Behavioral Therapy | en |
| Keyword | Anxiety | en |
| Publisher | Brieflands | en |
| Title | The Effectiveness of Cognitive Hypnotherapy on Meta-Worry and Emotional Reactivity in Patients with Panic Disorder | en |
| Type | Research Article | en |
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