A pilot investigation of Quest Institute Cognitive Hypnotherapy services using Improving Access to Psychological Therapies as the benchmark

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the treatment effects of Quest cognitive hypnotherapy (QCH) on anxiety and depression, and make comparisons with published data from the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) project.

Design/methodology/approach

Adult clients of QCH therapists were invited to enrol in a Practice Research Network (PRN) and completed pre- and post-therapy measures of anxiety (GAD-7) and depression (PHQ-9).

Findings

Post-treatment scores were available for 83 of the 106 clients reaching caseness (above the clinical cut-off on either or both measures) on their pre-treatment scores. Totally, 59 clients had moved to recovery, representing 71 per cent of cases where post scores were available and 56 per cent of the intent to treat (ITT) population (106 clients). Additionally, including all cases (both above and below cut-offs) 118 clients had post-treatment measures. In total, 86 (73 per cent) clients improved reliably. The mean number of treatment sessions was between three and four. This compares favourably with 2012-2013 IAPT findings using the same measures.

Research limitations/implications

This study was exploratory involving a client group paying privately for treatment. There was no randomised control group or attempt to evaluate the effectiveness of specific components of therapy.

Practical implications

QCH may offer a brief effective treatment for clients with clinically significant levels of anxiety and/or depression, widening client choice.

Originality/value

As the first study to explore the effectiveness of private QCH this study offers an example of how to use a PRN to compare with published IAPT data using the same measurement tools.

Citation

Andrews, W.P., Parsons, A.A., Rawle, H. and Gibbs, J. (2015), "A pilot investigation of Quest Institute Cognitive Hypnotherapy services using Improving Access to Psychological Therapies as the benchmark", Mental Health Review Journal, Vol. 20 No. 3, pp. 199-210. https://doi.org/10.1108/MHRJ-08-2014-0030