Hypnosis for depression: Systematic review of randomized clinical trials with meta-analysis.

Introduction: Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is one of the most debilitating diseases worldwide and has seen a significant increase in diagnoses during the pandemic, demanding more and better therapeutic tools to manage the post-pandemic scenario.

Objective: The aim of this systematic review is to provide a comprehensive analysis of the last 20 years of clinical research on Hypnotherapy (HT) to determine whether this intervention has evidence to support its recommendation for the treatment of MDD.

Methods: This review included only randomized clinical trials (RCTs) involving adult populations diagnosed with MDD, regardless of the severity level (mild, moderate, or severe) according to any validated diagnostic criteria, compared to a control group (active treatment or none), with any follow-up duration and free access to the manuscript.