Impact of Hypnotherapy on Examination Anxiety and Scholastic Performance among School Children

Aim: The aim of the present research was to study the impact of hypnotherapy as treatment intervention in overcoming examination anxiety and improving scholastic achievement. Method: A 10 item anxiety test developed by Nist and Diehl (1990) was administered on 10 school children of 13 and 14 years of age. Following pre and post test design, anxiety and scholastic achievement scores were obtained both before and after hypnotherapy intervention. The children were given 2 sessions each week in a month just before the exams and before each exam day. The hypnosis techniques used were relaxation exercises, anxiety management about taking and giving exams and positive suggestions given to the subconscious mind. Results: Pre test anxiety scores ranged from 80-92% among all the children while post test anxiety scores dropped to a range of 60-68 %. The pre test academic scores ranged 50-57% while post intervention scores increased by 10-15%. Further, anxiety symptoms of forgetting before the exam, excessive nervousness, sweating during and before the exam, going blank after seeing the paper were all controlled/eliminated after hypnotherapy and these were observed by the teachers, parents and the children themselves. Conclusion: These results indicated that hypnotherapy as treatment intervention proved to be effective in reducing exam anxiety and improving scholastic performance among