Hypnosis to improve well-being after an ICU stay
Official title: Hypnosis to Improve Well-beings of Critically Ill Patients and Prevent Post-intensive Care Syndrome
Run by University Hospital, Geneva · NCT07254299 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This trial will test whether short hypnosis sessions given at ICU discharge and again 7 and 14 days later help ICU survivors feel better by day 28.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 150 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | University Hospital, Geneva Academic / other |
| Locations | 2 sites (Geneva and 1 other locations) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | March 16, 2026 |
| Main results expected | October 1, 2027 |
| Study ends | December 1, 2027 |
| Registry record updated | November 10, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07254299 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates are French-speaking adult ICU survivors who were mechanically ventilated for at least two days, are lucid (GCS 15), not delirious at discharge, and able to provide informed consent.
✕Probably not a fit
Patients who are non-French-speaking, have ongoing delirium or lowered consciousness, traumatic brain injury, planned withdrawal of care, or very prolonged ICU stays are unlikely to benefit from this intervention.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
Critically ill adults who were mechanically ventilated for at least two days and can give consent are randomly assigned to receive either standard post-ICU care or standard care plus three brief hypnosis sessions (at ICU discharge, day 7, and day 14 if still hospitalized). The main outcome is patient-reported well-being measured at 28 days after ICU discharge. Patients with delirium, reduced consciousness, traumatic brain injury, planned withdrawal of care, or non-French speakers are excluded. The trial is conducted at tertiary hospitals in Geneva and Neuchâtel using standardized hypnosis protocols delivered by trained staff.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, hypnosis could offer a low-risk, non-drug way to improve short-term well-being after ICU and potentially reduce components of post-intensive care syndrome.
How similar studies have gone: Small studies in burn care and non-invasive ventilation have shown hypnosis can reduce pain and anxiety and improve comfort, but using hypnosis specifically to prevent post-intensive care syndrome is relatively novel and less well tested.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * On Mechanical Ventilation for at least 2 days * Able to give informed consent as documented by signature * French speaking Exclusion Criteria: * Refusal of the patient * Patient transferred from another ICU * Patient is planned for a withdrawal of care or is actively dying * Glasgow coma scale (GCS) \<15 on ICU discharge * Patient presenting with delirium (detected by CAM-ICU) on ICU discharge * Patient hospitalized for traumatic brain injury * Patient is in jail * Patient hospitalized for more than 28 days in the ICU
Where it's running
-
University Hospital of Geneva
Geneva, Switzerland Recruiting -
Hôpitaux Neuchâtelois
Neuchâtel, Switzerland Not yet recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Hannah Wozniak, Medical Doctor — University Hospital, Geneva
- Study coordinator: Hannah Wozniak, Medical Doctor
- Email: hannah-wozniak@hug.ch
- Phone: +41
Similar studies
Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.
-
Post-ICU Syndrome and Social Factors in Critical Illness Survivors
This study looks at how social factors affect people who survived a critical illness after being on a ventilator for at least 2 days.
-
Structured telerehabilitation for cardiac patients after ICU care
A remote, four-month cardiac rehabilitation program is being tested to see if it lowers readmissions and deaths and helps physical, cognitive, and emotional recovery after ICU stays for people with post-intensive care syndrome.
-
Virtual reality to help recovery after intensive care (PICS)
This study will try whether immersive virtual-reality brain-training helps adults recovering from ICU-related memory and thinking problems improve more than the same games on a tablet or usual care.
-
PROTECT-ICU: Training ICU staff to reduce post-ICU health problems
This trial will test whether training ICU staff to use a standard or expanded care bundle helps adults who spend at least 48 hours in the ICU have fewer physical, thinking, or emotional problems three months after hospital discharge.
-
Wrist-worn activity monitoring to support recovery after intensive care
This project will try a wrist-worn activity monitor to see if it helps clinicians understand recovery for adults discharged from intensive care.
-
Metabolic changes after an ICU stay and long-term physical recovery in ICU survivors
We will test whether metabolic changes during and after an ICU stay help explain long-term physical recovery in adults who needed prolonged ICU care.
How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.