Dissociation and Hypnotizability in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

• NCJ Number: 117949
• Author(s): D Spiegel; T Hunt; H E Dondershine
• Date Published: 1987
• Length: 19 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: Veterans Admin; John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
• Corporate Author: Stanford University School of Medicine
• Sale Source: Family Violence Research Program
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Psychological Association, New York, August 28, 1987

Annotation

The hypnotizability of 65 Vietnam veteran patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was compared with that of normal control and four patient samples using the Hypnotic Induction Profile.

Abstract

The PTSD sample comprised inpatients at the Palo Alto, Calif., Veterans Administration Medical Center. Study findings revealed that PTSD patients had significantly higher hypnotizability scores than schizophrenics, unipolar and bipolar depressed patients, patients with generalized anxiety disorders, and the control sample. The findings support the hypothesis that dissociative phenomena are mobilized as defenses both during and after traumatic experiences. The causal explanation for the findings remains obscure, however, as to whether the experience of trauma enhances hypnotizability or whether highly hypnotizable individuals are more sensitive to the effects of combat trauma. A review of the literature suggests that spontaneous dissociation, imagery, and hypnotizability are important components of PTSD symptomatology. 44 references, 1 table.