Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39873198›Full record

ArticleJMIR pediatrics and parenting2025

Children's and Their Parents' Experiences With Home-Based Guided Hypnotherapy: Qualitative Study.

Ilse N Ganzevoort, Adriëlla L van der Veen, Manna A Alma, Marjolein Y Berger, Gea A Holtman

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in JMIR pediatrics and parenting, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Effectiveness of hypnotherapy for paediatric abdominal pain in primary care: a randomised controlled trial.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2026
    Trial
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Ilse N GanzevoortDepartment of Primary- and Long-term Care, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9700 AD, Oostersingel, Groningen, PO-box 196, Netherlands, 31 653445206.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9367-7827
Adriëlla L van der VeenDepartment of Primary- and Long-term Care, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9700 AD, Oostersingel, Groningen, PO-box 196, Netherlands, 31 653445206.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0001-1880-3851
Manna A AlmaDepartment of Health Sciences, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8203-2713
Marjolein Y BergerDepartment of Primary- and Long-term Care, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9700 AD, Oostersingel, Groningen, PO-box 196, Netherlands, 31 653445206.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9906-3666
Gea A HoltmanDepartment of Primary- and Long-term Care, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9700 AD, Oostersingel, Groningen, PO-box 196, Netherlands, 31 653445206.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6579-767X

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Management of children with functional abdominal pain (FAP) or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is difficult in primary care. When education and reassurance do not alleviate symptoms, primary care physicians lack treatment options for children with FAP or IBS. Home-based guided hypnotherapy is a promising treatment because of its accessibility. To address feasibility, it is of utmost importance to take experiences from children and their parents into account. Objective: We aimed to explore children's and their parents' experiences with home-based guided hypnotherapy for children with FAP or IBS. Methods: This qualitative study used open-ended questions from a questionnaire and in-depth semistructured interviews with children and their parents who had a hypnotherapy intervention prescribed. The interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were collected and analyzed iteratively using thematic content analysis. Results: A total of 76 children were eligible, and we collected questionnaire data from 56 children. A total of 23 interviews were conducted with 10 children and 15 parents. Six themes emerged from questionnaire data and interviews: impression of the exercises, not for everyone, influence of perceived effect, integrating exercises in daily life, content and practicalities of the website, and customization to personal preferences. Children with FAP or IBS experienced home-based guided hypnotherapy and the exercises differently, ranging from boring to fun. From interviews with the parents, it emerged that hypnotherapy is not suitable for everyone; for example, when children are very young or have a low developmental level, cannot sit still, cannot surrender to the exercises, or are too energetic or stressed, it might be difficult to comply. Experiences were shaped by the influence of a perceived effect and to which extent children were able to integrate exercises in daily life. The content and practicalities of the website also influenced experiences, and hypnotherapy that is adaptable to personal preferences, including by appearance and content, would be highly appreciated. Conclusions: The children and parents experienced home-based guided hypnotherapy differently, ranging from boring to fun. Hypnotherapy might be difficult or boring for some children. The children enjoyed hypnotherapy when they liked the topic or story, felt positive effects, could easily integrate exercises in daily life, or enjoyed the website in general. The children's experiences and adherence can be further improved by adding short exercises and customizing hypnotherapy to their personal preferences on the website's appearance and content. This could increase effectiveness but must be studied further.

Indexed as

abdominal painaccessibilitychildchildreneHealthfunctional abdominal painhome guidedhypnotherapyinterviewsirritable bowel syndromemobile phoneparentsprimary careprimary health carequalitative studyquestionnairethematic analysis

Identifiers

PMID39873198
PMCPMC11789690

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.