Enhancing Subjective Well-Being and Quality of Life in Chronic Illness Patients Through Hypnotic Guided Imagery: An Experimental Study

The study aimed to preliminarily ascertain the effectiveness of Hypnotherapy Guided Imagery (HGI) in
enhancing the Subjective Well-Being (SWB) and Quality of Life (QoL) of individuals with chronic
illnesses. The chronic conditions examined in the study include Ischemic Heart Disease (IHD),
Cardiovascular Disease (CVD), Diabetes Mellitus (DM), Psychosomatic Disorders, Depression, and
Obesity. A randomized controlled trial (RCT) design was employed, with 30 participants in the
intervention group and 30 in the control group. The HGI intervention was conducted in a hybrid format,
serving as an alternative intervention method during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020 to 2022). Results
demonstrated varying impacts of the intervention across the six chronic conditions. The validity of the
intervention was assessed using emotional data obtained through the PANAS-X instrument. The
discussion highlights the differential effects of HGI on emotions, SWB, and QoL across the six chronic
diseases. Detailed findings are presented in this article. Conclusion: QoL differences were found in CVD
(MD = 17.6, p = .001), Depression (MD = 15.8, p = .002), Psychosomatic disorders (MD = 13.2, p = .008),
and Obesity (MD = 14.4, p = .004). The SWB showed significant differences within specific diseases:
CVD (MD = 16, p < .000), Depression (MD = 20.75, p < .000), and Psychosomatic disorders (MD = 13.25,
p = .0003). Recommendations: A larger sample size is necessary to achieve greater scientific certainty.
Given that the intervention consisted of only three sessions, the observed improvements, both
quantitative and qualitative, are relatively promising. However, this remains a small sample, and
further testing with a more sufficient sample size is recommended.