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

March 4, 2026 updated by: University Hospital, Strasbourg, France

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

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.

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

80

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Locations

  • France
      • Strasbourg, France
        • Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • 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.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • 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

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Patients Undergoing Alcohol Withdrawal treated by usual treatment
Other: Usual treatment
Withdrawal care provided according to standard practice
Experimental: Patients Undergoing Alcohol Withdrawal treated with Hypnosis and Aromatherapy
Other: Experimental treatment
Treatment for withdrawal using hypnosis and aromatherapy

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Change of anxiety disorders as assessed by the Hamilton Anxiety Scale between the start and end of the patient's hospitalization.
Time Frame: Day 0 and Day 15
Day 0 and Day 15

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

University Hospital, Strasbourg, France

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Benoît Lefeuvre, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

March 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

May 1, 2029

Study Completion (Estimated)

May 1, 2029

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

February 24, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

February 24, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

March 2, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

March 6, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 4, 2026

Last Verified

February 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • RC25-0040

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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