Daily online hypnosis exercises to improve mental health and self-esteem in 10-11-year-olds
Online Medical Hypnosis Exercises to Improve Mental Health in Primary School Children and Prevent Future Mental Health Issues
We test whether listening to short online hypnosis recordings each schoolday for six weeks helps 10-11-year-old children improve self-esteem and resilience and reduces their risk of anxiety or depression later on.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 345 (estimated) |
| Ages | 9 Years to 12 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | St. Antonius Hospital Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Leiden) |
| Trial ID | NCT07157358 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This randomized, open-label study assigns children aged 10–11 to start an online Breinbaas hypnosis audio program immediately or after a six-month delay. Participants listen to a recording (up to 15–20 minutes) each schoolday for six weeks and complete questionnaires on self-esteem, resilience, mental health, stress, and sleep before, during, and after the intervention. The primary outcome is change in self-esteem after six weeks, with secondary outcomes including resilience, psychosocial functioning, overall stress level, and sleep. Recruitment takes place in participating primary schools across three regions of the Netherlands, with the delayed-start group serving as the control.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Ideal participants are Dutch-speaking children in grades 6 or 7 at participating primary schools who have parental permission, access to an electronic device, are not currently receiving psychological treatment, and have not had hypnotherapy in the past three years.
Not a fit: Children currently in psychological treatment, those who recently received hypnotherapy, or non-Dutch speakers are unlikely to be eligible or receive benefit from this program.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could boost self-esteem and resilience in primary-school children and help lower the chance of developing anxiety or depression later in adolescence.
How similar studies have performed: There is limited but emerging evidence that hypnosis and guided audio can help children with anxiety, sleep, or stress, but daily school-based preventive hypnosis programs of this type are relatively novel and not yet widely tested.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: In order to be eligible to participate in this study, a subject must meet all of the following criteria: 1. Fluent in Dutch 2. Attending group 6 or 7 of a regular primary school in the Netherlands 3. Permission of the parents to listen daily to one of the Breinbaas hypnosis exercises (maximum 20 minutes per day) 4. Access to an electronic device to listen to the Breinbaas exercises (phone, tablet, computer) - Exclusion Criteria: A potential subject who meets any of the following criteria will be excluded from participation in this study: 1. Children treated with hypnotherapy in the three years preceding potential inclusion 2. Children currently receiving psychological treatment
Where this trial is running
Leiden
- University Leiden — Leiden, Netherlands (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Arine M Vlieger, MD,PhD — St. Antonius Hospital
- Study coordinator: Shelley van der Veek, PhD
- Email: sveek@fsw.leidenuniv.nl
- Phone: 0031-715273767
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.