Representations, Beliefs and Attitudes Towards Hypnosis in Patients Followed for Colorectal Cancer

Cancer patients experience psychological difficulties during the disease, associated with treatment, and even in the post-treatment period. Among the most common, they mention emotional distress, significant fatigue, sleep disturbance, or pain. Several authors agree that there is a cluster of four core symptoms associated with the disease and its treatments, including fatigue, nausea/vomiting, depression and pain. These symptoms have a significant impact on daily activities, resulting in a decrease in quality of life.

Reducing the symptoms of cancer to the sole etiology of the disease or its treatments does not allow us to consider a management action. Indeed, patients with cancer face the diagnosis and follow a course of care that includes many medical therapies (surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, etc.). Integrative medicine takes into account the need for these medical therapies by adding the importance of supportive care for patients. Specifically, the expected effects are to reduce the after-effects for people thanks to an offer of support care adapted to their needs and regularly evaluated, ensuring a better quality of life immediately and in the longer term, as well as by providing information that allows patients to make the most informed choices possible.

Physical activity, dietary monitoring, and psychosocial interventions remain the most common complementary therapies offered to patients to reduce treatment side effects. Among this wide choice, patients can find themselves lost. Over the past decade, changes in knowledge and attitudes toward complementary and alternative medicine have been occurring. For example, one study found that 21% of patients are turning to them, indicating a growing interest in this type of care.

While perceptions of alternative medicine are improving, there is still widespread skepticism about hypnosis. As a result, even though scientific research shows positive effects of this type of therapy, a 2006 study in Canada found that out of 15 breast cancer patients using psychosocial therapies, only 6% used hypnosis. Another study conducted in 2018 confirms these results: on a population of 212 patients with different cancers, it appears that hypnosis is the therapy least used and whose interest is lowest.

Few studies have been conducted to determine the reasons for this lack of interest or the beliefs that are associated with hypnosis. Existing research suggests that patients lack information about hypnosis and its effectiveness, may have ambivalent perceptions about it or be skeptical of its effectiveness, and that their beliefs may be influenced by the media. Specifically, one study point out that positive attitudes toward hypnosis are even associated with better hypnotic response. While its use in oncology is no longer in question, no recent qualitative study has been conducted questioning the representations of hypnosis with cancer patients. It therefore seems relevant to us today to know the evolution of the representations and attitudes of cancer patients towards hypnosis. To do this, and according to Leventhal's model of self-regulation, the information obtained by a patient, whether or not it is medically based, is integrated by the patient in order to provide a "lay" understanding of the subject in question. Activated representations may then be guided by the individual's current and prior awareness or by social messages from perceived significant others or authoritative sources and this impacts attitudes.