The authors compared the hypnotic responsivity of 115 chronically ill
psychiatric patients with that of 83 nonpatient volunteers. The Hypnotic
Induction Profile was administered to all subjects, and diagnoses were
established for the patients according to Research Diagnostic Criteria. All
of the diagnosed patients (those with thought disorder, affective disorder,
generalized anxiety, and miscellaneous disorders) were significantly less
hypnotizable than the nonpatient comparison group. This effect was
unrelated to age or medication differences. The authors discuss the
implication of these findings in relation to a new model of hypnotic
responsivity that takes into account the moderating effects of severe
psychopathology.Abstract Teaser