Effect of hypnosis on psychological distress in female university students with premenstrual syndrome.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the effect of hypnosis on psychological distress in female university students with premenstrual syndrome. METHODS: In this parallel randomized controlled trial (1:1), 60 eligible female students with premenstrual syndrome in the dormitories of Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences (west of Iran), were selected randomly and allocated to the experimental, and control groups (n = 30 each), using a simple randomization method. The experiment group received a structured hypnosis intervention consisting of three 60-min group sessions conducted weekly, and no intervention was performed in the control group. Before, the intervention, two groups completed premenstrual syndrome screening and DASS-21 questionnaire. The DASS-21was completed after the intervention (three months after the last intervention session), by two groups. In this study, the participants and investigators were not blinded; however, the analysts were. The recruitment process took place from October to December 2020. Sixty participants fulfilled the study. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS (v24). RESULTS: After the intervention, the total mean scores for depression (3.40 ± 4.08 vs. 7.40 ± 3.15; mean difference: − 4.000 [95% CI − 5.566, − 2.434]; p < 0.0001), anxiety (2.67 ± 2.15 vs. 4.40 ± 2.72; mean difference: − 1.733 [95% CI − 2.924, − 0.543]; p = 0.004), and stress (4.63 ± 3.16 vs. 9.30 ± 2.57; mean difference: − 4.667 [95% CI − 6.159, − 3.175]; p < 0.0001) were significantly lower in the hypnosis group compared to the control group. No significant adverse events or side effects were observed. CONCLUSION: Hypnotherapy relaxation among female students experiencing premenstrual syndrome resulted in reduction in symptoms of depression, stress, and anxiety but a larger sample size is required to fully test its merits. Trial Registration Clinical Trials: Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials; https://irct.behdasht.gov.ir/trial/50699 (IRCT20151208025433N5), registered (2020-09-27). Registration timing: retrospective.