Depression is a serious mood disorder that affects how someone thinks, feels, and handles daily activities. There are many forms of the condition, but common symptoms include:
Hypnosis is an effective method of alleviating the symptoms of depression. Those with major depression have a decreased heart rate variability (HRV) — the variation in the time between consecutive heartbeats. According to one study, HRV significantly increases hypnosis, which may mean the technique could treat depression. However, the researchers used a very small sample size, so scientists need to carry out more studies to confirm these findings.
According to a meta-analysis of hypnotic interventions, using hypnosis for depression is potentially as effective as other well-known psychological interventions such as CBT and interpersonal therapy.