Hypnosis-derived Communication in Pediatric Medical Procedures: A Scoping Review of Evidence, Applications, and Future Research Directions

Background: Managing pain and anxiety in children during medical procedures remains a significant challenge in healthcare. Clinical hypnosis, as a non-invasive and cost-effective intervention, has been shown to effectively reduce these issues. This scoping review aims to examine the evidence, applications, and future research directions concerning hypnosis-derived communication (HC) in pediatric medical procedures. Methods: This scoping review was conducted following the Arksey and O'Malley (۲۰۰۵) framework and adhering to the PRISMA-SCR checklist to ensure transparency and rigor in reporting. A systematic search was performed across PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL, Google Scholar (for grey literature), and SID (for Persian sources) to identify relevant studies. The English keywords used included "hypnosis," "hypnotic communication," "hypnosis-derived communication," "child*," "pediatric," "adolescent," "procedure," "medical intervention," "treatment," and "surgery," with their Persian equivalents applied when searching Persian databases to ensure comprehensive coverage. Inclusion criteria focused on studies examining the use of hypnosis-derived communication techniques to reduce pain and anxiety in pediatric patients undergoing medical procedures. From an initial pool of ۷۸ articles, ۲۱ met the eligibility criteria and were included in the final analysis. Results: The review indicates that HC is more effective than standard care and distraction techniques, particularly in procedures like bone marrow aspiration, lumbar puncture, and propofol injection. The efficacy of HC is enhanced by children's natural cognitive abilities, including suggestibility and imagination. Training programs for healthcare professionals, such as the Rel@x program, have demonstrated significant improvements in their skills, with retention of these skills up to five months post-training. However, existing studies are limited by small sample sizes, a narrow focus on oncology and needle procedures, and inadequate reporting of factors influencing patient responses. Conclusions: Hypnosis-derived communication holds substantial potential as a non-pharmacological intervention to alleviate pain and anxiety in pediatric medical procedures. Implementing comprehensive training for healthcare providers and conducting rigorous evaluations of HC's impact on children are crucial steps for its successful integration into clinical practice. Further research with robust methodologies and larger sample sizes is necessary to establish HC as a standard practice and to address existing methodological gaps. This review provides a roadmap for researchers and clinicians to advance the application of HC in pediatric care.

کلیدواژه ها:

hypnosis ، hypnotic communication ، hypnosis-derived communication ، child* ، pediatric ، adolescent ، procedure ، medical intervention ، treatment ، surgery