THE IMPORTANCE OF HYPNOTHERAPY IN PAIN, QUALITY OF LIFE AND DEPRESSION DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC (Atena Editora)

Abstract

The present study hasthe goal to assess how Hypnotherapy can be an interventional element in the control of Chronic Pain (CD) and in the presence of the limitations imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic, which cause a succession of situations for the chronically ill, which compromises their appearance, not only physical but psychological, with personal, family and social repercussions. In this sense, we sought to (1) verify whether there are differences in the perception of CD and QOL in subjects who started Hypnotherapy before the Covid-19 pandemic compared to subjects who started Hypnotherapy during the Covid-19 pandemic, (2) verify the existence of differences in pain perception in subjects who did not develop or developed depression during the Covid-19 pandemic and (3) to verify the existence of differences in quality of life (QOL) according to the diagnosis of depression or its absence during the Covid-19 pandemic. 19. This cross-sectional study is descriptive through surveys, exploratory and correlational. The sample consists of 125 participants. Of these, 94 were undergoing hypnotherapy before the Covid-19 pandemic started and 31 started the hypnotherapy process during the Covid-19 pandemic. Participants were selected from the hypnotherapeutic follow-up they were already developing or developed during the Covid-19 pandemic. The investigation and intervention took place for 6 months. The following instruments were applied: Sociodemographic and Clinical Questionnaire (QSD&C); World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-Bref); and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). The results demonstrate the existence of statistically significant differences in the perception of pain in both groups (with or without a diagnosis of depression) and in most domains of QOL, as well as the existence of statistically significant differences between subjects who underwent hypnotherapy before or only during the Covid-19 pandemic. Summarizing, the present study demonstrates a greater impairment in the perception of Pain and QOL in individuals diagnosed with depression when compared to subjects without any diagnosis of depression. It is also verified that the perception of Pain is lower in subjects who underwent Hypnotherapy before the Covid-19 pandemic.