Comparison of the Effect on Anxiety of Combining Hypnosis and Aromatherapy Through Olfactory Anchoring Versus Standard Care in Patients Undergoing Alcohol Withdrawal

NCT07444255 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: RC25-0040
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 80
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

According to a meta-analysis published in 2019, hypnosis has demonstrated positive effects in the treatment of certain mental illnesses, particularly anxiety. This technique aims to put the subject into a particular state of consciousness conducive to therapeutic action. The safe place in hypnosis is the basis for anxiety relief work, the first step towards the use of hypnotic metaphors. Smell is an excellent way to stimulate the imagination in creating this safe place. Anchoring allows the effects of a hypnosis session to be reactivated, enabling the subject to re-experience its benefits through tactile stimulation, a key word, or an image. The investigators use olfactory stimulation as a hypnotic anchor while also utilizing the anxiolytic properties of essential oils. While there are already studies on the use of hypnosis or aromatherapy in the treatment of patients who use psychotropic drugs, no study to date has focused on their combined use. The innovative aspect of this treatment lies in the prolongation and reinforcement of the effect of the hypnosis session through olfactory stimulation. The literature shows that memories triggered by a smell have the ability to materialize physiologically in the areas of the brain that process spatial and temporal information. This is also a goal that hypnosis aspires to achieve. The investigators hypothesize that the use of these two tools in formalized, time-limited nursing interviews can provide patients in the complex withdrawal unit with the means to reduce their anxiety in the short and medium term.

Conditions

Alcohol Withdrawal; Anxiety

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Change of anxiety disorders as assessed by the Hamilton Anxiety Scale between the start and end of the patient's hospitalization.

  Day 0 and Day 15

Study Arms (2)

Patients Undergoing Alcohol Withdrawal treated by usual treatment

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Other: Usual treatment

Patients Undergoing Alcohol Withdrawal treated with Hypnosis and Aromatherapy

EXPERIMENTAL

Other: Experimental treatment

Interventions

Usual treatment OTHER

Withdrawal care provided according to standard practice

Patients Undergoing Alcohol Withdrawal treated by usual treatment

Experimental treatment OTHER

Treatment for withdrawal using hypnosis and aromatherapy

Patients Undergoing Alcohol Withdrawal treated with Hypnosis and Aromatherapy

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Patients aged 18 or over
• Patients hospitalized in an addiction unit for acute alcohol withdrawal and suffering from anxiety disorders
• Patients affiliated with a social security health insurance scheme, beneficiaries or dependents
• Patients who speak/read French, are able to understand the objectives and risks associated with the research, and can give dated and signed informed consent
• Patients who adhere to complementary therapies
• For women of childbearing age, patients for whom the beta HCG test (urine or blood, performed routinely) is negative and who are using effective contraception.

You may not qualify if:

• Allergy(ies)/contraindication(s) to essential oils selected for the project
• Patients with psychosis or complex psychological trauma
• Anosmia, hyposmia, or other olfactory disorders limiting the quality of smell
• Asthma
• Ear, nose and throat pathology(ies) contraindicating essential oils in olfaction
• Skepticism regarding the effectiveness of hypnosis and aromatherapy
• Patient under guardianship/curatorship
• Patients excluded from a previous or ongoing study
• Patients in an emergency or life-threatening situation
• Patients under legal guardianship
• Patients who have already participated in this study
• Pregnancy
• Breastfeeding

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University Hospital, Strasbourg, France: lead

Study Sites (1)

Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg

Strasbourg, France

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Anxiety Disorders

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Mental Disorders

Study Officials

• Benoît Lefeuvre

  Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Benoît Lefeuvre

CONTACT

+33 88 11 66 53; benoit.lefeuvre@chru-strasbourg.fr

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: February 24, 2026
• First Posted: March 2, 2026
• Study Start: March 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): May 1, 2029
• Study Completion (Estimated): May 1, 2029
• Last Updated: March 6, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-02

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

FR (1)