The roles of hypnosis in symptom management of pediatric cancer

Introduction: Children with chronic health conditions, such as cancer, face a multitude of challenges in their daily lives. In addition to the physical effects of their illness, they often struggle with hospital anxiety, sleep issues, pain during procedures, emotional distress, and low self-esteem. Due to the intrinsic nature of children, hypnosis has been found to be a valuable tool in helping children with chronic health conditions manage both their psychological and physical symptoms.Method: A comprehensive search on databases like Google scholar, PubMed, science direct and Scopus by using keywords was conducted. Results: Through hypnosis, children can learn coping mechanisms to better handle pain and anxiety, making procedures like injections and needle sticks less stressful. Additionally, hypnosis has been shown to improve sleep disturbances, which can have a significant impact on the immune system. In addition to pain and anxiety management, hypnosis has also been effective in improving symptoms related to gastrointestinal issues, headaches, functional neurological disorders, and pulmonary symptoms in children with chronic health conditions. Overall, hypnosis can play a crucial role in enhancing the quality of life for children facing these challenges.Conclusion: Hypnotherapy is a promising approach to increase children’s quality of life. As children with cancer deal with many physiological and psychological issues, by alleviating pain and discomfort through hypnosis, healing can be improved and potential biopsychosocial issues can be avoided, ultimately benefiting both patients and their families.