Hypnosis to Improve Well-beings of Critically Ill Patients and Prevent Post-intensive Care Syndrome

NCT ID: NCT07254299

Last Updated: 2025-11-28

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

NOT_YET_RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

204 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2026-03-01

Study Completion Date

2027-03-01

Brief Summary

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The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate the effectiveness of a hypnosis intervention in improving well-being at day 28 of an ICU stay. The main question it aims to answer is :

-Does Hypnosis intervention at ICU discharge and on day 7 and 14 on the wards if the patient remains in the hospital, improve wellbeing at 28 days ?

Researchers will compare discharged ICU patients who received standard post-discharge care to discharged ICU patients who received standard post-discharge care and hypnosis intervention on discharge and 7 and 14days after if they are still in the hospital, to see if hypnosis can improve their wellbeing.

Participants will receive a hypnosis session on the day of ICU discharge, a second session seven days post-discharge and a third session at day 14 if they are still in the hospital.

Detailed Description

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Critically ill patients in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) face numerous challenges both acutely and in the long term. These patients frequently experience acute pain and anxiety due to intubation and induced comas. Following their ICU discharge, they commonly report decreased well-being and quality of life. Additionally, up to 40% of critically ill patients develop post-intensive care syndrome (PICS), which includes mental, physical, and cognitive sequelae that can persist up to one year after discharge. Heavy sedation and medications necessary to manage pain and anxiety are known risk factors for PICS.

The current standard of care in the ICU includes mobilization and nutrition, pain control, and family engagement and empowerment. Furthermore, no other specific interventions are aimed at improving long-term outcomes and preventing PICS.

Several studies have explored using hypnosis to improve the acute care of ICU patients. For instance, a pain protocol that included hypnosis in burn patients hospitalized in the CHUV (Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois) resulted in reduced pain intensity, reduced opioid use, reduced anxiety, and better wound outcomes, all while lowering costs. A pilot study involving non-invasive ventilation patients showed that hypnosis could improve comfort, mask tolerance, and anxiety levels. Additionally, studies on relaxation therapy have indicated that electronic relaxation therapy is a promising, safe, and effective non-pharmacological solution to enhance overall comfort in alert and non-delirious ICU patients.

However, despite these efforts, there is a lack of efficient interventions specifically targeting the wellbeing of patients after an ICU stay and the prevention of PICS. Existing interventions, such as follow-up programs, rehabilitation, and psychological follow-up, have shown conflicting results. To date, no studies have specifically assessed the effect of hypnosis on the short and longer-term well-being of critically ill patients leaving the ICU and its possible effect on the prevention of PICS.

The investigators hypothesize that providing a hypnosis session at ICU discharge and followed by subsequent sessions on days 7 and 14 on the ward will improve well-being in the short term and reduce PICS symptoms at 3- and 6- months. The primary outcome will be the assessment of well-being at day 28 post-ICU discharge. Secondary outcomes will be anxiety, depression, PTSD, and quality of life at three and six months.

Hypothesis and primary objective The investigators hypothesize that providing intervention with hypnosis at ICU discharge and subsequent sessions on day 7 and 14 on the ward if the patient remains in the hospital will improve wellbeing at day 28 and reduce PICS symptoms at three and six months in critically ill patients.

Primary Objective:

The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a hypnosis intervention in improving well-being at day 28 of an ICU stay.

Scale used for wellbeing:

* ESAS, total 90, each item on a 0-10 scale
* EQ-5D-5L

Secondary Objectives:

1. To assess the impact of a hypnosis intervention to improve PICS at 3 months and 6 months

* Anxiety and depression: PHQ-9 et GAD-7
* Post-traumatic stress disorder: PDI and IES-R scale
* Quality of life: SF-12, EQ-5D-5L and WHODAS 2.0
* Patient impression of change: PGIC
2. To evaluate patient immediate wellbeing after the hypnosis intervention. • ESAS before after the session in patients who will get the session

Conditions

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Post Intensive Care Syndrome (PICS)

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

PREVENTION

Blinding Strategy

SINGLE

Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

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Hypnosis group

Participants in the intervention group will receive a hypnosis session on the day of discharge, a second session seven days post-discharge, and a third session on day 14 if they are still in the hospital. Trained professionals will conduct the hypnosis sessions following a standardized protocol, designed by the study team for critically ill patients.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Hypnosis

Intervention Type OTHER

the hypnosis will be tailored to each patient. Key elements will include relaxation (to mitigate anxiety and stress and help the patient feel more comfortable, secure, and competent), reassociation techniques (to help the patient reconnect with their body, promoting a sense of embodiment and presence), and safe place (to introduce a safe and calming place to instill a sense of control and competence, aiding in emotional stabilization and fostering a sense of safety and well-being).

Control group

Participants in the control group will receive standard post-discharge care, which includes mobilization, nutrition, pain control, and family engagement and empowerment, without any hypnosis intervention.

Group Type NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

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Hypnosis

the hypnosis will be tailored to each patient. Key elements will include relaxation (to mitigate anxiety and stress and help the patient feel more comfortable, secure, and competent), reassociation techniques (to help the patient reconnect with their body, promoting a sense of embodiment and presence), and safe place (to introduce a safe and calming place to instill a sense of control and competence, aiding in emotional stabilization and fostering a sense of safety and well-being).

Intervention Type OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* On Mechanical Ventilation for at least 48 hours
* Able to give informed consent as documented by signature
* French speaking

Exclusion Criteria

* Refusal of the patient
* Patient transferred from another ICU
* Patient is planned for a withdrawal of care or is actively dying
* Glasgow coma scale (GCS) \<15 on ICU discharge
* Patient presenting with delirium (detected by CAM-ICU) on ICU discharge
* Patient hospitalized for brain injury
* Patient is in jail
* Patients already enrolled in the ongoing Nutriphyt trial
* Patient hospitalized for more than 28 days in the ICU
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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COEN Matteo

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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COEN Matteo

Dr. med. PD. PhD

Responsibility Role SPONSOR_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Hannah Wozniak, Medical Doctor

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University Hospital, Geneva

Matteo Coen, MD, PHD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University Hospital, Geneva

Locations

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University Hospital of Geneva

Geneva, , Switzerland

Site Status

Hôpitaux Neuchâtelois

Neuchâtel, , Switzerland

Site Status

Countries

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Switzerland

Central Contacts

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Hannah Wozniak, Medical Doctor

Role: CONTACT

Jennifer B. C. S Muradbegovic, Doctor

Role: CONTACT

+41 79 55 36255

Facility Contacts

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Hannah Wozniak, Medical Doctor

Role: primary

Jennifer Muradbegovic, Doctor

Role: backup

+41 79 55 36255

Marie-Eve Brunner, Medical Doctor

Role: primary

References

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Schmidt B, Schneider J, Deffner T, Rosendahl J. Hypnotic suggestions of safety improve well-being in non-invasively ventilated patients in the intensive care unit. Intensive Care Med. 2021 Apr;47(4):485-486. doi: 10.1007/s00134-021-06364-8. Epub 2021 Feb 16. No abstract available.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 33590259 (View on PubMed)

Spiegel D, Cardena E. New uses of hypnosis in the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder. J Clin Psychiatry. 1990 Oct;51 Suppl:39-43; discussion 44-6.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 2211565 (View on PubMed)

Related Links

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Other Identifiers

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2025-00369

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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