Data Cart

The 1999 Field Representative's Manual defines hypnosis as:

This definition was not routinely shared with respondents.

In later years the definitions were more expansive. The 2002 Field Representative's Manual says that hypnosis is:

This definition was not routinely shared with respondents.

The 2007 Field Representative's Manual provides a definition almost identical to the one given in 2002, but offers an alternative list of health conditions that hypnosis is often used to treat (ulcers, chronic pain, respiratory ailments, stress, and headaches).

In 2007 field representatives were advised to "feel free to offer [this definition] even if the respondent has not requested [it]."

The 2002 and 2007 survey questions asked whether the person had seen "a practitioner" (for sample adults) or "a provider or practitioner" (for sample children) for hypnosis in the past 12 months. The 2007 Manual defines an "alternative provider or practitioner" as:

Respondents who indicated that they had ever used hypnosis (HYPEV) (in the case of sample adults) and that they had used it in the past 12 months (HYPYR) (both sample adults and sample children) were asked follow-up questions about their use of hypnosis. Most of the following variables relate only to sample adults, except for HYPTREAT and some variables covering specific health conditions.

• importance of use of hypnosis (HYPIMPORT)

• times saw practitioner for hypnosis (HYPNO)

• amount paid per visit for hypnosis (HYPPAID)

• whether hypnosis costs covered by insurance (HYPINSURE)

• whether used hypnosis for specific health problem (HYPTREAT)

• reasons for using hypnosis (HYPUSCOMBO, HYPUSENERGY, HYPUSHCREC, HYPUSIMMUN, HYPUSINTER, HYPUSMEDCOST, HYPUSMEDFAIL, HYPUSRELREC, HYPUSWELL, HYPUSCIGS, HYPUSWEIGHT, HYPUSSLEEP, HYPUSALC, HYPUSPAIN, HYPUSSTRESS, HYPUSANXDEP, HYPUSFEAR, HYPUSMEMORY, HYPUSOTHER)

• whether combined hypnosis with conventional treatments (HYPNOCONV, HYPCOUN, HYPNPMED, HYPPMED, HYPPT, HYPSURG)

• timing of hypnosis treatment, relative to use of conventional treatments (HYPCOUNTIM, HYPNPMEDTIM, HYPPMEDTIM, HYPTTIM, HYPSURGTIM)

• whether informed conventional medical practitioners of use of hypnosis (HYPLCONVHP, HYPLDENT, HYPLDO, HYPLMD, HYPLNURS, HYPLPHARM, HYPLPSYCHI, HYPLPSYCHO)

Persons who indicated in HYPTREAT (available for 2007 only) that they had used hypnosis in the past 12 months to treat a specific health problem were asked to specify the condition treated. There are 116 total variables for specific conditions that were treated by hypnosis, including 57 for sample adults, 29 for sample children, and 30 for both sample adults and sample children. See HYPTREAT for more detail and the full list of conditions that persons could indicate were treated with hypnosis. Analysts interested in the conditions that hypnosis was used to treat may also wish to consult the following variables:

• condition for which hypnosis was used most (HYPTCONMOST)

• condition count for hypnosis (HYPCONNO)

In 1999 the question read, "During the past 12 months have you used hypnosis?"

In the 2002 and 2007 sample adult questionnaires, the question read, "During the past 12 months, did you see a practitioner for hypnosis?"

The 2007 sample child questionnaire asked, "During the past 12 months, did [fill: sample child's name] see a provider or practitioner for any of the following therapies? Please say yes or no to each. ... Hypnosis?"

Thus, the later versions of HYPYR emphasize the use of a hypnosis practitioner, an emphasis that is not found in the 1999 question. However, the 1999 definition of hypnosis (see above) points out the role of a health professional in the treatment, and the Field Representative's Manual for 2002 instructs, "When going through the supplement, please remember that the first 10 alternative therapies ... [which include hypnosis] require seeing a practitioner ..."