ABSTRACT
Objective
This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioural hypnotherapy (CBH) on improving cognitive flexibility, reducing rumination and alleviating perceived stigma in elderly individuals with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in Ardabil, Iran.
Methods
In a quasi-experimental design with pre-test and post-test measurements, 70 participants with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease were recruited from memory clinics and daycare centres in Ardabil, Iran. Participants were non-randomly assigned to either the experimental group (n = 35), receiving 12 weekly sessions of cognitive-behavioural hypnotherapy, or the control group (n = 35), receiving standard care. Outcomes were assessed using the Cognitive Flexibility Inventory (CFI), Ruminative Responses Scale (RRS) and the Stigma Scale for Chronic Illness (SSCI-8) at baseline and post-intervention.
Results
The experimental group demonstrated significant improvements in cognitive flexibility (p < 0.001, partial η
2 = 0.57) compared to the control group. Additionally, significant reductions were observed in rumination (p < 0.001, partial η
2 = 0.60) and perceived stigma (p < 0.001, partial η
2 = 0.56) among participants who received hypnotherapy. In contrast, the control group showed no significant changes across any outcome measures. Large effect sizes (η
2 > 0.50) indicated clinically meaningful improvements in all target variables.
Conclusion
Cognitive-behavioural hypnotherapy appears to be an effective non-pharmacological intervention for enhancing cognitive flexibility and reducing both rumination and stigma in elderly individuals with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease. These findings suggest that hypnotherapy may contribute to improved psychological well-being and adaptive functioning in this clinical population. However, given the quasi-experimental nature of this study, future research employing randomised controlled trials with larger and more diverse samples, longer follow-up periods and exploration of neurobiological mechanisms is warranted. Hypnotherapy should be considered as a complementary approach within comprehensive, multidisciplinary care models for Alzheimer’s disease.