Favorite Stories: A Hypnotic Pain-Reduction Technique for Children in Acute Pain

Abstract

For young children (aged 3 to 6 years 11 months) with leukemia, a hypnotic trance consisting of a child's favorite story was found to be statistically more effective than behavioral distraction and standard medical practice in alleviating distress, pain, and anxiety during painful bone marrow aspirations. Measured by a behavioral checklist and judgement ratings by physician, parent, nurse, and observers, the favorite-story hypnotic technique had immediate therapeutic impact on these young patients, and the reduction in distress, pain, and anxiety was sustained on subsequent medical procedures. Self-report measures, however, were nonsignificant.