Hypnosis and suggestion-based approaches to smoking cessation: An examination of the evidence

This article reviews 59 studies of hypnosis and smoking cessation as to whe ther the research empirically supports hypnosis as a treatment. Whereas hyp notic procedures generally yield higher rates of abstinence relative to wai t-list and no-treatment conditions, hypnotic interventions are generally co mparable to a variety of nonhypnotic treatments. The evidence for whether h ypnosis yields outcomes superior to placebos is mixed. In short, hypnosis c annot be considered a specific and efficacious treatment for smoking cessat ion. Furthermore, in many cases, it is impossible to rule out cognitive/beh avioral and educational interventions as the source of positive treatment g ains associated with hypnotic treatments. Hypnosis cannot, as yet, be regar ded as a well-established treatment for smoking cessation. Nevertheless, it seems justified to classify hypnosis as a "possibly efficacious" treatment for smoking cessation.