Browsing by Author "Roberts, Rejena Lynae, 1990-"
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Item A hypnosis intervention reduces anxiety among postmenopausal women with hot flashes : results from a randomized controlled trial.(2018-07-13) Roberts, Rejena Lynae, 1990-; Elkins, Gary Ray, 1952-Anxiety is common, yet under-treated, among women in menopause and postmenopause. This study examined the effect of a hypnotic intervention designed to reduce hot flashes, on anxiety levels of postmenopausal women. Anxiety was assessed using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Anxiety subscale, and a visual analogue scale. Additionally, trait anxiety and hypnotizability were tested as moderators of anxiety reductions. Significant reductions in anxiety were found from baseline to endpoint and follow-up and hypnosis was superior to the control condition. Additionally, ratings of Current Anxiety decreased from pre-session to post-session at each weekly visit and the pre-session scores reduced continuously. Trait anxiety and hypnotizability were found to significantly moderate anxiety reductions. These data provide initial support for the use of hypnosis to reduce symptoms of anxiety among postmenopausal women.Item Cardiovascular psychophysiology of stress-inducing and relaxing imagery following a hypnotic induction.(2021-05-24) Roberts, Rejena Lynae, 1990-; Elkins, Gary Ray, 1952-Though hypnotic imagery is frequently used in clinical practice to help manage stress-related symptoms and disorders, the psychophysiology and autonomic effects are still debated. Parasympathetic and sympathetic autonomic nervous system (ANS) branches can be differentially quantified to assess how physiology is altered, but previous research has found contradictory evidence regarding specific effects of hypnosis. It is also unknown whether cognitive and somatic processes are differentially influenced by hypnotic imagery. Understanding how hypnotic imagery impacts individuals (psychologically and physiologically) is imperative for clinicians developing interventions and could provide evidence for which symptoms might best respond. This dissertation aimed to determine the effects of hypnotic imagery on self-report stress, relaxation, and autonomic physiology, and to assess whether self-report changes were associated with physiological changes. Hypnotizability was explored as a potential moderator. Sixty participants listened to a voiced recording with stress-inducing, neutral, and relaxing imagery, which followed a hypnotic induction or sham hypnosis (white noise), depending on randomization. Parasympathetic (HF HRV) and sympathetic (PEP) cardiovascular effects were assessed continuously, and self-report stress and relaxation were measured with numeric rating scales at five timepoints: baseline, neutral, stressful, and relaxing imagery, and endpoint. Physiological and self-report measures changed significantly across the five timepoints, but physiological effects were not significantly different between hypnosis and white noise groups, suggesting that the imagery conditions created autonomic changes regardless of whether a hypnotic induction preceded. Interestingly, physiological effects and corresponding self-report ratings were not strongly correlated. PEP and stress ratings were significantly correlated during the relaxing hypnotic imagery only, and HF HRV and relaxation ratings were not correlated during any timepoints. Lastly, hypnotizability moderated the effect of imagery conditions on self-report ratings but not on physiological measures. A notable limitation of the study is that a large proportion of participants scored low in hypnotizability, potentially skewing results toward weaker effects, as low hypnotizable individuals would be expected to have less pronounced physiological changes during hypnosis. The current findings point to the crucial need for further research into the roles of hypnosis inductions and of hypnotic imagery.