Hypnosis therapy for self-esteem in pediatric neurology practice: A pilot exploratory study

Background: A number of pediatric conditions are chronic, such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), idiopathic epilepsies, or anxiety disorder. They all have an impact on self-esteem with consequences on the quality of life. Hypnosis is a therapeutic strategy that consists in putting into trance an individual who becomes receptive to appropriate suggestions. Such an approach is now considered a simple and safe therapy with limited cost. The aim of the present study was to show the feasibility of hypnosis for improving self-esteem in children with the aforementioned conditions.

Methods: We conducted a single-center study with prospectively collected data during routine care. Patients with ADHD, idiopathic epilepsies, or anxiety disorder and a low self-esteem were included between April 2018 and February 2020. They all underwent the same hypnosis protocol conducted by the same therapist. Self-esteem was assessed using two self-evaluation scales, the Jodoin 40 scale and Piers-Harris Self-Concept Scale, and a self-assigned self-esteem score at the beginning and at the end of the hypnosis session.

Results: Among the 14 children included, 11 were studied (6 ADHD, 1 anxiety disorder, 4 idiopathic epilepsies). The median age at inclusion was 12.2 years and the sex ratio was 4:3 (boys:girls). Final comparisons showed that self-esteem had improved, which was statistically significant regarding the Jodoin 40 scale and the self-assigned self-esteem score (p ≤ 0.05). Neither side effect nor disease worsening was observed.

Conclusion: This study illustrates the feasibility of therapeutic hypnosis in clinical practice for improving self-esteem in chronic pediatric conditions.