Clinical hypnosis in anesthesia: Knowledge and training needs among Moroccan nurse anesthetists

Abstract

Despite increasing evidence proving the efficacy of clinical hypnosis as an adjunct therapy to anesthesia in multiple surgical contexts, attitudes and perception of anesthesia personnel remain the principal barrier to its large-scale implementation. This study aims to describe and explore the level of knowledge in terms of clinical hypnosis use in anesthesia among Moroccan nurse anesthetists working in public sector health. A 21-item questionnaire translated into French for a prior study was prepared in electronic form. Using snowball sampling, we recruited nurse anesthetists from Morocco to answer the questionnaire. We used nonparametric tests to analyze collected data and a factorial analysis to explore the structure of the tool. Between November 1, 2025, and January 10, 2026, responses were obtained and showed overall, perceptions of hypnosis were favorable, with mean hypnosis usefulness score of 13.97 ± 2.47 in a 0-20 scale (median = 14). The misconceptions score average was 20.51 ±3.10 in a 0-32 scale (median = 20), indicating generally acceptable knowledge despite the persistence of some inaccurate beliefs and barriers concerning training and time management. Factorial analysis showed a multidimensional structure of hypnosis barriers and a unidimentional structure for hypnosis usefulness. Moroccan nurse anesthetists reported generally positive attitudes toward clinical hypnosis use in operating rooms in many indications. However, many barriers, such as the idea that hypnosis is a time-consuming technique requiring specific training, remain persistent. In light of these results, we recommend hypnosis implementation in Moroccan operating rooms in parallel with specific trainings on the subject.