Using hypnosis for the treatment of depression is as effective as other well-known psychological interventions such as counselling psychotherapy, CBT and other interpersonal therapies.

Depression can be crippling for people as it is a serious mood disorder that affects how someone thinks, feels, and handles daily activities. There are many forms of the condition, and the symptoms can vary from person to person. 

 The common symptoms include:

• Persistently anxious or sad mood
• Irritability
• Loss of interest
• Difficulty concentrating or sleeping
• Lack of energy
• Loss of interest/enjoyment in usual activities
• Dark moods
• Changes to sleep patterns
• Changes to appetite
• Feeling tired or fatigued most of time
• Feeling hopeless
• Constantly worrying
• Low self-esteem/feeling worthless or guilty
• Loss of concentration
• Withdrawing from friends and family
• Not wanting to join in
• Loss of libido
• Suicidal thoughts

Hypnosis is an effective method of alleviating the symptoms of depression. Those with major depression have a decreased heart rate variability (HRV) that is the variation in the time between consecutive heartbeats. According to studies, HRV significantly increases hypnosis, which may mean the technique can successfully treat depression