Dissociative SymptomsHYDRANCT07895875
Clinical Hypnosis Versus Guided Imagery for Dissociative Symptoms in Adults
A study testing Clinical Hypnosis and Non-Hypnotic Guided Imagery in people with Dissociative Symptoms, run by University of Rome Foro Italico at 1 site in Italy.
Trial summary
This randomized controlled trial aims to investigate whether a brief clinical hypnosis intervention can reduce dissociative symptoms more effectively than guided imagery in adults receiving psychiatric care. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Dissociative Symptoms
- What is being tested?
- Clinical Hypnosis and Non-Hypnotic Guided Imagery
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 160 participants
- Where
- 1 siteItaly
- Study dates
- Mar 2027to Nov 2028
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- A total score of 30 or higher on the Dissociative Experiences Scale-II (DES-II).
- Clinically significant dissociative symptomatology confirmed by the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Dissociative Disorders-Revised (SCID-D-R), operationalized as at least moderate severity in one or more core dissociative symptom domains.
- Sufficient clinical stabilization to provide informed consent and safely participate in the intervention, as determined by the treating clinician and study assessor.
- Sufficient fluency in Italian to complete study procedures. -
Who cannot join
- A current schizophrenia-spectrum or other psychotic disorder.
- A current substance use disorder judged to interfere with safe or reliable participation in the study.
- Acute suicidal ideation or intent requiring immediate clinical intervention.
- A severe neurological or neurocognitive condition that could substantially interfere with informed consent, comprehension, or participation in study procedures.
- Concurrent participation in another structured experimental intervention specifically targeting dissociative symptoms.
- -
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Italy1 site
ASL Roma 3 - Centro di Salute Mentale Fiumicino
Fiumicino, Lazio, 00054
Celeste Chianese, MSc, +393392991298, celeste.chianese@aslroma3.it
Celeste Chianese, MSc
About this study
Official title: Targeting Dissociation Through Volitional Hypnosis: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial
This randomized controlled trial aims to investigate whether a brief clinical hypnosis intervention can reduce dissociative symptoms more effectively than guided imagery in adults receiving psychiatric care.
Dissociative symptoms may include feelings of detachment from oneself or the surrounding environment, difficulties with memory, changes in the sense of identity, and a reduced sense of control over one's experiences. These symptoms can interfere with everyday functioning and occur across different mental health conditions.
Read more
The study will enroll approximately 160 adults with clinically significant dissociative symptoms. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups: clinical hypnosis or non-hypnotic guided imagery. Both interventions will consist of four individual, in-person sessions lasting approximately 50 minutes each, delivered over 4-6 weeks alongside usual psychiatric care.
The clinical hypnosis intervention is designed to help participants recognize changes in their mental and bodily experiences, maintain awareness during these changes, and practice intentionally regulating them. The guided imagery intervention focuses on relaxation, sensory awareness, grounding, and emotional stabilization without using hypnosis-specific techniques.
The main outcome will be the severity of dissociative symptoms, measured using the Dissociative Experiences Scale-II (DES-II) approximately one week after the final session. Additional assessments will examine quality of life, psychological symptoms, and the safety and tolerability of both interventions. Follow-up evaluations at 3 and 6 months will assess whether any changes in dissociative symptoms are maintained.
The study will also explore whether participants' sense of control over their experiences may help explain treatment-related changes in dissociative symptoms.
Read the detailed description
Scientific Background and Rationale
Clinically significant dissociation involves disruptions in the integration of consciousness, memory, identity, perception, and the perceived control over mental states and behavior. Dissociative symptoms occur across a range of psychiatric conditions and are associated with considerable psychological distress and functional impairment. Despite their clinical relevance, evidence supporting specific psychological interventions targeting dissociative symptoms remains limited, particularly from adequately controlled randomized trials.
Clinical hypnosis is of particular interest because hypnosis and dissociation share certain phenomenological characteristics, including absorption, alterations in self-experience, and changes in perceived agency. However, these phenomena are conceptually distinct, and their relationship does not necessarily imply a shared underlying mechanism.
The HYDRA trial is informed by the clinical hypothesis that some spontaneous dissociative experiences may be understood as dysregulated self-hypnotic processes. This hypothesis is used as a therapeutic framework rather than an established explanation of dissociation. Accordingly, the intervention investigates whether structured practice in intentionally regulating hypnotic and absorption-like experiences may help individuals develop greater awareness of and control over experiences that are ordinarily perceived as involuntary.
Conceptual Framework: Volitional Hypnosis
For the purposes of this study, *volitional hypnosis* is defined as a study-specific operational construct referring to the capacity to intentionally initiate, observe, modulate, and terminate hypnotic or absorption-like experiential states while maintaining reflective awareness.
The clinical hypnosis intervention is informed by Ericksonian principles of individualized therapeutic communication, utilization, indirect suggestion, metaphor, and experiential learning. Within a structured and manualized framework, participants progressively practice recognizing early changes in experiential states, maintaining reflective awareness during these changes, and deliberately returning to a grounded, present-oriented state.
The intervention is conceived as an adjunctive self-regulation and skill-acquisition module rather than a comprehensive psychotherapy. It does not require the retrieval or processing of traumatic memories, and procedures intended to recover allegedly inaccessible memories are excluded.
Rationale for the Active Comparator
Non-hypnotic guided imagery was selected as an active comparator to provide a credible stabilization-oriented intervention while controlling for several nonspecific therapeutic factors, including therapist attention, treatment expectancy, focused attention, relaxation, mental imagery, and grounding.
The comparator incorporates structured imaginative and attentional exercises but excludes formal hypnotic induction, trance-deepening procedures, and suggestions explicitly aimed at intentionally entering, modifying, or terminating hypnotic states.
Because guided imagery may itself support emotional regulation and experiential engagement, it is not considered an inert control condition. This comparison is intended to provide a rigorous test of whether the explicit hypnotic framework and systematic training of volitional state regulation offer additional therapeutic benefits beyond those associated with a credible non-hypnotic psychological intervention.
Hypothesized Processes of Change
The primary clinical hypothesis is that clinical hypnosis will produce greater reductions in dissociative symptom severity than guided imagery.
An additional exploratory hypothesis concerns sense of agency, defined as the subjective experience of control over one's actions and experiences. The study will investigate whether changes in sense of agency during treatment are associated with subsequent changes in dissociative symptoms.
Baseline individual differences in hypnotic suggestibility, interoceptive awareness, and alexithymia will also be explored as potential moderators or prognostic factors of treatment response. These analyses are exploratory and are not intended to establish causal mechanisms.
Safety and Clinical Considerations
Given the potential vulnerability of individuals experiencing clinically significant dissociation, both interventions incorporate standardized procedures for monitoring distress, dissociative destabilization, orientation, and perceived control. Procedures for grounding, reorientation, temporary suspension, and clinical reassessment are prespecified and applied consistently across treatment conditions.
Adverse events and treatment tolerability will be systematically monitored. Independent clinical safety oversight is planned throughout the study.
By comparing clinical hypnosis with an active psychological intervention, the HYDRA trial aims to clarify the potential clinical utility, safety, and specific contribution of volitional hypnotic training in the management of dissociative symptoms.
- Conditions
- Dissociative Symptoms
- Being tested
- Clinical Hypnosis, Non-Hypnotic Guided Imagery
- Keywords
- Clinical Hypnosis, Dissociation, Volitional Control, Sense of Agency, Ericksonian Hypnosis, Guided Imagery, Randomized Controlled Trial
- Medical subject headings
- Dissociative Disorders
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Clinical HypnosisBehavioural
Also called Volitional Hypnosis
A manualized, four-session Ericksonian clinical hypnosis intervention designed to develop intentional regulation of dissociative and absorption-like experiences. Sessions incorporate permissive hypnotic induction, therapeutic metaphors, indirect suggestions, dual-awareness training, and structured practice in recognizing, modulating, and terminating hypnotic states. Each individual session lasts approximately 50 minutes and is delivered in person every 10-12 days. The intervention is provided alongside usual psychiatric care.
Non-Hypnotic Guided ImageryBehavioural
A manualized, four-session non-hypnotic guided imagery intervention focusing on sensory grounding, voluntary mental imagery, attentional flexibility, and emotional stabilization. Sessions involve structured imagery exercises, present-moment sensory awareness, and attention-shifting practices, without formal hypnotic induction or trance-deepening procedures. Each individual session lasts approximately 50 minutes and is delivered in person every 10-12 days. The intervention is provided alongside usual psychiatric care.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Clinical Hypnosis | Experimental | Participants assigned to this arm will receive four individual, in-person sessions of manualized Ericksonian clinical hypnosis, delivered approximately every 10-12 days. Each session will last approximately 50 minutes (±5 minutes).
The intervention is designed to develop the ability to recognize, observe, and intentionally regulate dissociative or absorption-like experiential states while maintaining reflective awareness. Treatment progressively focuses on stabilization and recognition of experiential changes, dual awareness, voluntary modulation of hypnotic states, and consolidation of self-regulation skills.
Sessions incorporate permissive hypnotic induction, individualized therapeutic metaphors, indirect suggestions, structured experiential exercises, and standardized grounding and reorientation procedures. The intervention does not involve trauma-memory retrieval or processing.
Clinical hypnosis will be delivered as an adjunct to usual psychiatric care, which participants will Receives: Behavioral: Clinical Hypnosis |
| Non-Hypnotic Guided Imagery | Active comparator | Participants allocated to this arm will receive four individual, in-person sessions of manualized non-hypnotic guided imagery, delivered approximately every 10-12 days. Each session will last 50 minutes (±5 minutes), matching the experimental condition in duration, frequency, and therapist contact.
The intervention focuses on sensory grounding, voluntary mental imagery, attentional flexibility, and emotional stabilization. Participants will progressively practice constructing calming mental images, maintaining awareness of their physical surroundings, shifting attention between imagined and external sensory experiences, and independently applying these strategies in daily life.
The intervention will exclude formal hypnotic induction, trance-deepening procedures, post-hypnotic suggestions, and techniques explicitly aimed at intentionally entering, modifying, or terminating hypnotic states.
Participants will continue to receive their usual psychiatric care throughout the trial. Receives: Behavioral: Non-Hypnotic Guided Imagery |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Dissociative Symptom Severity (DES-II Total Score) Copia
Dissociative symptom severity will be assessed using the Dissociative Experiences Scale-II (DES-II), a 28-item self-report questionnaire measuring the frequency of dissociative experiences. The total score is calculated as the mean of the 28 item scores and ranges from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating greater dissociative symptom severity.
The primary endpoint is the DES-II total score at post-treatment. The primary treatment effect will be estimated as the adjusted between-group difference in post-treatment DES-II scores, controlling for baseline DES-II.
Measured: 7 ± 3 days after the fourth intervention session (post-treatment).
Secondary outcomes (7)
Dissociative Symptom Severity at 3-Month Follow-up (DES-II)
Dissociative symptom severity will be assessed using the Dissociative Experiences Scale-II (DES-II), a 28-item self-report measure. The total score ranges from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating greater dissociative symptom severity. This secondary endpoint will evaluate maintenance of treatment effects at 3-month follow-up.
Measured: 3 months after Session 4 (±14 days)
Dissociative Symptom Severity at 6-Month Follow-up (DES-II)
Dissociative symptom severity will be assessed using the Dissociative Experiences Scale-II (DES-II), a 28-item self-report measure. The total score ranges from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating greater dissociative symptom severity. This secondary endpoint will evaluate maintenance of treatment effects at 6-month follow-up.
Measured: 6 months after Session 4 (±14 days).
Global Psychological Distress (SCL-90-R Global Severity Index)
Global psychological distress will be assessed using the Global Severity Index (GSI) of the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R). The GSI summarizes overall psychological symptom distress, with higher scores indicating greater severity. Post-treatment scores will be compared between groups, adjusting for baseline values.
Measured: Baseline and 7 ± 3 days after Session 4 (post-treatment).
PTSD Symptom Severity (CAPS-5 Total Score)
PTSD symptom severity will be assessed using the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5), restricted to participants meeting DSM-5 Criterion A for traumatic exposure at baseline. The total symptom severity score is calculated by summing the severity ratings of the 20 DSM-5 PTSD symptoms, ranging from 0 to 80, with higher scores indicating greater symptom severity. The same index traumatic event will be used at baseline and post-treatment.
Measured: Baseline and 7 ± 3 days after Session 4 (post-treatment).
Anxiety Symptom Severity (GAD-7 Total Score)
Anxiety symptom severity will be assessed using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), a seven-item self-report questionnaire measuring symptoms over the preceding two weeks. Total scores range from 0 to 21, with higher scores indicating greater anxiety severity. Post-treatment scores will be compared between groups, adjusting for baseline values.
Measured: Baseline and 7 ± 3 days after Session 4 (post-treatment).
Depressive Symptom Severity (PHQ-9 Total Score)
Depressive symptom severity will be assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), a nine-item self-report questionnaire measuring depressive symptoms over the preceding two weeks. Total scores range from 0 to 27, with higher scores indicating greater depressive symptom severity. Post-treatment scores will be compared between groups, adjusting for baseline values.
Measured: Baseline and 7 ± 3 days after Session 4 (post-treatment).
Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF)
Quality of life will be assessed using the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF), a 26-item self-report questionnaire evaluating four domains: physical health, psychological health, social relationships, and environment. Domain scores will be calculated according to standard WHO scoring procedures, with higher scores indicating better quality of life. The four domain scores will be analyzed separately, without calculating an overall total score. Post-treatment scores will be compared between treatment groups, adjusting for the corresponding baseline values.
Measured: Baseline and 7 ± 3 days after Session 4 (post-treatment).
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted26 Oct 2026
- Study startMar 2027 (estimated)
- Primary completionMay 2028 (estimated)
- Study completionNov 2028 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Dissociative SymptomsStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 160 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Rome Foro Italico
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- ASL ROMA 3
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Celeste Chianese, MSc, Principal investigator, ASL ROMA 3
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07895875
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- HYDRA-RCT-2026-01
- Acronym
- HYDRA
- Status last verified
- Oct 2026
- First submitted
- 19 Oct 2026
- Last updated
- 26 Oct 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Undecided: Individual participant data (IPD) will not be made openly available due to the clinical sensitivity of the study population and the potential risk of participant re-identification. De-identified and data-minimized participant-level datasets may be shared with qualified researchers upon reasonable request, subject to participant consent, Ethics Committee approval, applicable GDPR requirements, and an appropriate data-use agreement. Data elements presenting an unacceptable risk of re-identification will not be shared.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 26 Oct 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Targeting Dissociation Through Volitional Hypnosis: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07895875
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- HYDRA / HYDRA-RCT-2026-01
- Conditions
- Dissociative Symptoms
- Keywords
- Clinical Hypnosis, Dissociation, Volitional Control, Sense of Agency, Ericksonian Hypnosis, Guided Imagery, Randomized Controlled Trial
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Not yet recruiting
- Enrolment
- 160 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- University of Rome Foro ItalicoUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- ASL ROMA 3
- Study start
- Mar 2027 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- May 2028 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Nov 2028 (estimated)
- First posted
- 26 Oct 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This randomized controlled trial aims to investigate whether a brief clinical hypnosis intervention can reduce dissociative symptoms more effectively than guided imagery in adults receiving psychiatric care.
Dissociative symptoms may include feelings of detachment from oneself or the surrounding environment, difficulties with memory, changes in the sense of identity, and a reduced sense of control over one's experiences. These symptoms can interfere with everyday functioning and occur across different mental health conditions.
The study will enroll approximately 160 adults with clinically significant dissociative symptoms. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups: clinical hypnosis or non-hypnotic guided imagery. Both interventions will consist of four individual, in-person sessions lasting approximately 50 minutes each, delivered over 4-6 weeks alongside usual psychiatric care.
The clinical hypnosis intervention is designed to help participants recognize changes in their mental and bodily experiences, maintain awareness during these changes, and practice intentionally regulating them. The guided imagery intervention focuses on relaxation, sensory awareness, grounding, and emotional stabilization without using hypnosis-specific techniques.
The main outcome will be the severity of dissociative symptoms, measured using the Dissociative Experiences Scale-II (DES-II) approximately one week after the final session. Additional assessments will examine quality of life, psychological symptoms, and the safety and tolerability of both interventions. Follow-up evaluations at 3 and 6 months will assess whether any changes in dissociative symptoms are maintained.
The study will also explore whether participants' sense of control over their experiences may help explain treatment-related changes in dissociative symptoms.
Detailed description
Scientific Background and Rationale
Clinically significant dissociation involves disruptions in the integration of consciousness, memory, identity, perception, and the perceived control over mental states and behavior. Dissociative symptoms occur across a range of psychiatric conditions and are associated with considerable psychological distress and functional impairment. Despite their clinical relevance, evidence supporting specific psychological interventions targeting dissociative symptoms remains limited, particularly from adequately controlled randomized trials.
Clinical hypnosis is of particular interest because hypnosis and dissociation share certain phenomenological characteristics, including absorption, alterations in self-experience, and changes in perceived agency. However, these phenomena are conceptually distinct, and their relationship does not necessarily imply a shared underlying mechanism.
The HYDRA trial is informed by the clinical hypothesis that some spontaneous dissociative experiences may be understood as dysregulated self-hypnotic processes. This hypothesis is used as a therapeutic framework rather than an established explanation of dissociation. Accordingly, the intervention investigates whether structured practice in intentionally regulating hypnotic and absorption-like experiences may help individuals develop greater awareness of and control over experiences that are ordinarily perceived as involuntary.
Conceptual Framework: Volitional Hypnosis
For the purposes of this study, *volitional hypnosis* is defined as a study-specific operational construct referring to the capacity to intentionally initiate, observe, modulate, and terminate hypnotic or absorption-like experiential states while maintaining reflective awareness.
The clinical hypnosis intervention is informed by Ericksonian principles of individualized therapeutic communication, utilization, indirect suggestion, metaphor, and experiential learning. Within a structured and manualized framework, participants progressively practice recognizing early changes in experiential states, maintaining reflective awareness during these changes, and deliberately returning to a grounded, present-oriented state.
The intervention is conceived as an adjunctive self-regulation and skill-acquisition module rather than a comprehensive psychotherapy. It does not require the retrieval or processing of traumatic memories, and procedures intended to recover allegedly inaccessible memories are excluded.
Rationale for the Active Comparator
Non-hypnotic guided imagery was selected as an active comparator to provide a credible stabilization-oriented intervention while controlling for several nonspecific therapeutic factors, including therapist attention, treatment expectancy, focused attention, relaxation, mental imagery, and grounding.
The comparator incorporates structured imaginative and attentional exercises but excludes formal hypnotic induction, trance-deepening procedures, and suggestions explicitly aimed at intentionally entering, modifying, or terminating hypnotic states.
Because guided imagery may itself support emotional regulation and experiential engagement, it is not considered an inert control condition. This comparison is intended to provide a rigorous test of whether the explicit hypnotic framework and systematic training of volitional state regulation offer additional therapeutic benefits beyond those associated with a credible non-hypnotic psychological intervention.
Hypothesized Processes of Change
The primary clinical hypothesis is that clinical hypnosis will produce greater reductions in dissociative symptom severity than guided imagery.
An additional exploratory hypothesis concerns sense of agency, defined as the subjective experience of control over one's actions and experiences. The study will investigate whether changes in sense of agency during treatment are associated with subsequent changes in dissociative symptoms.
Baseline individual differences in hypnotic suggestibility, interoceptive awareness, and alexithymia will also be explored as potential moderators or prognostic factors of treatment response. These analyses are exploratory and are not intended to establish causal mechanisms.
Safety and Clinical Considerations
Given the potential vulnerability of individuals experiencing clinically significant dissociation, both interventions incorporate standardized procedures for monitoring distress, dissociative destabilization, orientation, and perceived control. Procedures for grounding, reorientation, temporary suspension, and clinical reassessment are prespecified and applied consistently across treatment conditions.
Adverse events and treatment tolerability will be systematically monitored. Independent clinical safety oversight is planned throughout the study.
By comparing clinical hypnosis with an active psychological intervention, the HYDRA trial aims to clarify the potential clinical utility, safety, and specific contribution of volitional hypnotic training in the management of dissociative symptoms.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind (participant, outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Clinical Hypnosis | Experimental | Behavioral: Clinical HypnosisParticipants assigned to this arm will receive four individual, in-person sessions of manualized Ericksonian clinical hypnosis, delivered approximately every 10-12 days. Each session will last approximately 50 minutes (±5 minutes). The intervention is designed to develop the ability to recognize, observe, and intentionally regulate dissociative or absorption-like experiential states while maintaining reflective awareness. Treatment progressively focuses on stabilization and recognition of experiential changes, dual awareness, voluntary modulation of hypnotic states, and consolidation of self-regulation skills. Sessions incorporate permissive hypnotic induction, individualized therapeutic metaphors, indirect suggestions, structured experiential exercises, and standardized grounding and reorientation procedures. The intervention does not involve trauma-memory retrieval or processing. Clinical hypnosis will be delivered as an adjunct to usual psychiatric care, which participants will |
| Non-Hypnotic Guided Imagery | Active comparator | Behavioral: Non-Hypnotic Guided ImageryParticipants allocated to this arm will receive four individual, in-person sessions of manualized non-hypnotic guided imagery, delivered approximately every 10-12 days. Each session will last 50 minutes (±5 minutes), matching the experimental condition in duration, frequency, and therapist contact. The intervention focuses on sensory grounding, voluntary mental imagery, attentional flexibility, and emotional stabilization. Participants will progressively practice constructing calming mental images, maintaining awareness of their physical surroundings, shifting attention between imagined and external sensory experiences, and independently applying these strategies in daily life. The intervention will exclude formal hypnotic induction, trance-deepening procedures, post-hypnotic suggestions, and techniques explicitly aimed at intentionally entering, modifying, or terminating hypnotic states. Participants will continue to receive their usual psychiatric care throughout the trial. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- A total score of 30 or higher on the Dissociative Experiences Scale-II (DES-II).
- Clinically significant dissociative symptomatology confirmed by the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Dissociative Disorders-Revised (SCID-D-R), operationalized as at least moderate severity in one or more core dissociative symptom domains.
- Sufficient clinical stabilization to provide informed consent and safely participate in the intervention, as determined by the treating clinician and study assessor.
- Sufficient fluency in Italian to complete study procedures. -
Key exclusion criteria (6 listed)
- A current schizophrenia-spectrum or other psychotic disorder.
- A current substance use disorder judged to interfere with safe or reliable participation in the study.
- Acute suicidal ideation or intent requiring immediate clinical intervention.
- A severe neurological or neurocognitive condition that could substantially interfere with informed consent, comprehension, or participation in study procedures.
- Concurrent participation in another structured experimental intervention specifically targeting dissociative symptoms.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Clinical HypnosisAlso: Volitional HypnosisA manualized, four-session Ericksonian clinical hypnosis intervention designed to develop intentional regulation of dissociative and absorption-like experiences. Sessions incorporate permissive hypnotic induction, therapeutic metaphors, indirect suggestions, dual-awareness training, and structured practice in recognizing, modulating, and terminating hypnotic states. Each individual session lasts approximately 50 minutes and is delivered in person every 10-12 days. The intervention is provided alongside usual psychiatric care. | Behavioural | Clinical Hypnosis |
| Non-Hypnotic Guided ImageryA manualized, four-session non-hypnotic guided imagery intervention focusing on sensory grounding, voluntary mental imagery, attentional flexibility, and emotional stabilization. Sessions involve structured imagery exercises, present-moment sensory awareness, and attention-shifting practices, without formal hypnotic induction or trance-deepening procedures. Each individual session lasts approximately 50 minutes and is delivered in person every 10-12 days. The intervention is provided alongside usual psychiatric care. | Behavioural | Non-Hypnotic Guided Imagery |
Primary outcome
Dissociative Symptom Severity (DES-II Total Score) Copia
Time frame: 7 ± 3 days after the fourth intervention session (post-treatment).
Dissociative symptom severity will be assessed using the Dissociative Experiences Scale-II (DES-II), a 28-item self-report questionnaire measuring the frequency of dissociative experiences. The total score is calculated as the mean of the 28 item scores and ranges from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating greater dissociative symptom severity. The primary endpoint is the DES-II total score at post-treatment. The primary treatment effect will be estimated as the adjusted between-group difference in post-treatment DES-II scores, controlling for baseline DES-II.
7 secondary outcomes
Dissociative Symptom Severity at 3-Month Follow-up (DES-II)
Time frame: 3 months after Session 4 (±14 days)
Dissociative Symptom Severity at 6-Month Follow-up (DES-II)
Time frame: 6 months after Session 4 (±14 days).
Global Psychological Distress (SCL-90-R Global Severity Index)
Time frame: Baseline and 7 ± 3 days after Session 4 (post-treatment).
PTSD Symptom Severity (CAPS-5 Total Score)
Time frame: Baseline and 7 ± 3 days after Session 4 (post-treatment).
Anxiety Symptom Severity (GAD-7 Total Score)
Time frame: Baseline and 7 ± 3 days after Session 4 (post-treatment).
Depressive Symptom Severity (PHQ-9 Total Score)
Time frame: Baseline and 7 ± 3 days after Session 4 (post-treatment).
Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF)
Time frame: Baseline and 7 ± 3 days after Session 4 (post-treatment).
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 26 Oct 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Undecided. Individual participant data (IPD) will not be made openly available due to the clinical sensitivity of the study population and the potential risk of participant re-identification. De-identified and data-minimized participant-level datasets may be shared with qualified researchers upon reasonable request, subject to participant consent, Ethics Committee approval, applicable GDPR requirements, and an appropriate data-use agreement. Data elements presenting an unacceptable risk of re-identification will not be shared.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
Celeste Chianese, MSc principal investigator
ASL ROMA 3
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Clinical Hypnosis and Non-Hypnotic Guided Imagery in people with Dissociative Symptoms, run by University of Rome Foro Italico at 1 site in Italy.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 6 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 26 Oct 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Italy. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Celeste Chianese, MSc (+393392991298, celeste.chianese@aslroma3.it), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Dissociative Symptom Severity (DES-II Total Score) Copia (time frame: 7 ± 3 days after the fourth intervention session (post-treatment).). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 26 Oct 2026.