Morocco study finds positive attitudes toward clinical hypnosis among nurse anesthetists

Nurse anesthetists working in Morocco’s public health sector generally have positive attitudes toward the use of clinical hypnosis in operating rooms, although misconceptions and barriers related mainly to training and time management could hinder its adoption, according to a new study.

The study, titled “Clinical Hypnosis in Anesthesia: Knowledge and Training Needs Among Moroccan Nurse Anesthetists,” was published in the American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis. It examined Moroccan nurse anesthetists’ knowledge and perceptions of clinical hypnosis in anesthesia, with a focus on professionals working in the public health sector.

The multidisciplinary research team was led by Youssef Allam of the Health Sciences and Technologies Laboratory at Hassan First University’s Higher Institute of Health Sciences in Settat, in collaboration with Mohammed V University in Rabat. The researchers contributed to the study’s conceptual development, methodological design, data analysis and preparation of the research manuscript.

The study included 318 nurse anesthetists working in Morocco’s public health system, selected from hospitals and health institutions across the country’s 12 administrative regions. Women accounted for 78.62% of the final sample, while men represented 21.38%.

Researchers used a 21-item questionnaire translated into French from an instrument previously used in another study. The questionnaire was subsequently administered electronically to Moroccan nurse anesthetists and intensive care nurses.

Participants were recruited using a snowball sampling technique. Researchers used nonparametric statistical tests to analyze the responses, along with factor analysis to examine the internal structure of the assessment tool.

Responses were collected between Nov. 1, 2025, and Jan. 10, 2026.

The findings showed that participants generally held positive perceptions of clinical hypnosis and its potential use in operating rooms. However, the study also identified several barriers to its practical adoption.

Among the main obstacles were the perception that hypnosis is time-consuming and requires specialized training, as well as concerns about managing additional time within the fast-paced environment of surgical procedures.

Factor analysis indicated that barriers to the use of clinical hypnosis had a multidimensional structure, while perceptions of its usefulness showed a unidimensional structure.

The findings suggest that perceptions of the potential benefits of clinical hypnosis were relatively consistent among participants, whereas reservations about its use stemmed from several interconnected factors, particularly training requirements, time constraints and perceptions of how the technique could be integrated into professional practice.

The researchers concluded that Moroccan nurse anesthetists generally view clinical hypnosis positively for use in operating rooms and in several clinical indications. However, persistent misconceptions and practical barriers could prevent positive attitudes from translating into routine use.

In particular, the perception that clinical hypnosis requires additional time and specialized training may limit its integration into everyday anesthesia practice, the study found.

The researchers recommended introducing clinical hypnosis into operating-room practice in Morocco alongside specialized training programs designed to strengthen nurse anesthetists’ knowledge and address misconceptions surrounding the technique.

The study adds to the discussion over the potential role of clinical hypnosis in anesthesia practice in Morocco, while highlighting the need for appropriate professional training and institutional frameworks before wider implementation can take place.