Current Applications of Clinical Hypnosis in Latin America: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Abstract

Hypnosis is a controversial issue given the opposing positions it generates. Although saddled with a huge stigma, in recent decades research in the field has overthrew myths and demonstrated with empirical evidence its mechanisms and applications in many physical and psychological problems, contributing to the wellbeing and quality of patients. The aim of this paper is to describe the current applications of clinical hypnosis in the Latin American context. A systematic search of the literature was performed using the keywords 'hypnosis', 'clinical hypnosis' and 'Latin America' in Lilacs and SciELO databases. Literature reviews, original articles including Latin American population and case presentations, published between 1990 and 2016, and written in Spanish were included. A total of 202 articles were found, after removing replications and excluding articles that did not met the inclusion criteria only 20 articles were chosen. The applications of hypnosis described in the literature include pain management, preparation for surgery, smoking cessation, gastrointestinal problems and other medical conditions, applications in children and adolescents, among others. However, most of the results of the articles included have important methodological flaws, making it difficult to draw solid conclusions. Although hypnosis is cost-effective, practical, useful and can be applied for a variety of clinical problems, there is little evidence to support its use in our context. Research including Latin American samples and using more rigorous methodologies is needed to confirm its clinical validity in our context.