Comparison of the Effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with Cognitive Behavioral Hypnotherapy on Sexual Satisfaction of Women with Fibromyalgia Syndrome: A Clinical Trial Study

Fibromyalgia syndrome is a chronic disease with extensive musculoskeletal pain that primarily involves women and also it has negatively effects on many aspects of psychological and social life. Cognitive-behavioral therapy examines dysfunctional emotions and maladaptive cognitive behaviors, processes, and themes, and cognitive-behavioral hypnotherapy combines hypnotherapy with the methods and concepts of cognitive-behavioral therapy. The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy with cognitive-behavioral hypnotherapy on sexual satisfaction of women with fibromyalgia syndrome.

This clinical trial study was done on 9 women with fibromyalgia syndrome who referred to rheumatology clinic in Gorgan, northern Iran in 2020. The patients were randomly divided into three groups including cognitive-behavioral therapy, combination cognitive-behavioral hypnotherapy and control group. The treatments used were performed for 8 sessions separately for 2 groups of 3 people in Pars Tavan Comprehensive Center. Control group did not receive any intervention. A multidimensional sexual satisfaction questionnaire of Roshan 2014 was used to evaluate patients.

Sexual satisfaction in post-test on both interventional group showed a significant improvement compared to control group (P<0.05). Cognitive-behavioral hypnotherapy with 59.38% was more effective than cognitive-behavioral therapy with 43.01 and also it was the same 2 month after follow up (P<0.05).

Combined therapy of cognitive-behavioral hypnotherapy increased sexual satisfaction in women with fibromyalgia syndrome more than cognitive-behavioral therapy.