I am the new girl

Fatina  F. ALI

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the personal experiences of pain, stress and anxiety among cancer patients and to study the effect of individual hypnosis in alleviating pain, stress and anxiety.

Thirty volunteer Lebanese cancer patients in the order referred were administered the State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), the McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ), and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ). Each alternate subject was assigned to either a control group or an experimental group. On the second day after taking the tests, the experimental subjects were treated by a specific hypnotic procedure. Control subjects were not so treated. Then all subjects were again tested on the STAI, MPQ, and the GHQ.

The three hypotheses of the study were tested by using a t‑test, comparing the means of pre and post‑test scores of the experimental and the control groups. An ANOVA was then used to check the subjects' pool homogeniety.

The two groups, experimental and control, did not differ significantly in demographic composition. The results of the study, however, indicated that the individual hypnosis session was effective. Experimental subjects experienced a statistically significant reduction in anxiety, a statistically significant reduction in pain, and a statistically significant reduction in stress (p < .05). All three null hypotheses of the experimental group were rejected at the .05 level of significance. There was no difference in pain, stress, or anxiety among control group patients from a pre‑to a post‑test measure.

Implications of and possible explanations for the study's findings are discussed. Recommendations for future research are offered.