Dance/movement therapy impacts mood states of adolescents in a psychiatric hospital

Feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of school-based dance movement psychotherapy for children with emotional and behavioral difficulties

Background

Schools have been increasingly employing dance movement psychotherapists to support children cope with daily worries and stress, express and understand their emotions, develop self-awareness and self-esteem. However, evidence on the impact of dance movement psychotherapy as a tool for prevention of mental health difficulties in childhood remains limited.

Methods

Sixteen children (aged 7–9) with mild emotional and behavioral difficulties from two primary schools were randomly assigned to a Dance Movement Psychotherapy (DMP) intervention or to a waiting list, within a larger pilot cross-over randomized controlled study which aimed to (a) test whether all elements of study design can work together and run smoothly in a full-scale RCT; and (b) investigate the effectiveness of arts therapies in improving children’s health related quality of life (HRQOL; EQ-5D-Y), wellbeing and life functioning (Child Outcome Rating Scale; CORS), emotional and behavioral difficulties (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire; SDQ), and duration of sleep (Fitbits). The therapeutic process was also evaluated through interviews with children, participant observations, the Children’s Session Rating Scale (CSRS), and ratings of adherence to the therapeutic protocol.

Results

The findings indicated that DMP led to improvements in children’s life functioning, wellbeing, duration of sleep, emotional and behavioral difficulties, but not in quality of life. The improvements were maintained at the follow-up stages, up to 6 months post-intervention. Interviews with children also suggested positive outcomes, such as self-expression; emotional regulation; mastery and acceptance of emotions; improved self-confidence and self-esteem; reduced stress; and development of positive relationships. However, children would have preferred smaller groups and longer sessions.

Conclusion

This study indicated that all outcome measures would be suitable for inclusion in a larger randomized controlled trial, though the EQ-5D-Y is not recommended as a stand-alone measure due to its lack of sensitivity and specificity for young participants. The adherence to the therapeutic protocol ratings differed between children and adults, highlighting the need to include children’s voice in future research. Strategies are also proposed of how to conduct randomization of participants in ways that do not hinder the therapeutic process.

Dance Movement Therapy with Children: Practical Aspects of Remote Group Work

The global COVID-19 outbreak has forced psychotherapists to find creative ways to continue treating their clients from afar. Dance movement therapy emphasizes the body-mind connection and offers a unique mode of emotional intervention for supporting mental processes. The present study is the first to examine the distinctive qualities of group dance movement therapy in the context of remote emotional intervention with young children. Fourteen preschool children participated in six DMT meetings. The data generated three themes: 1. play as a platform for transforming technical complexity into an expression of the inner world; 2. accessories and props as means of motivation for movement and imaginative play; 3. playfulness-inhibiting conditions in settings of remote therapy. The discussion examines the significance of bodily expressions in remote therapy for understanding the needs of children in times of crisis and for getting acquainted with feelings and sensations which do not lend themselves easily to verbal expression.

Creative Arts Therapy as a Potential Intervention to Prevent Burnout and Build Resilience in Health Care Professionals

The delivery of health care is undergoing a rapid evolution that is dramatically changing the way health care professionals perform their job responsibilities. In this increasingly stressful work environment, professionals are experiencing alarming rates of burnout. Recent efforts to enhance wellness have been directed toward organizations. However, because of the nature of the work performed in intensive care units, interventions to develop individual resilience are also needed. Currently, medical centers are environments in which the emotional impact of work-related trauma is often minimized and rarely processed. Some individuals may struggle to describe or express the impact of those traumas. Through nonverbal interventions, creative arts therapy can help people access, explore, and share authentic emotion in visual, musical, physical, or written form. By reconstructing meaning through transformative methods, participants may confront, reflect, and better cope with traumatic experiences while catalyzing social support networks and deepening relational bonds in the workplace.

Re-inhabiting one's body: A pilot study on the effects of dance movement therapy on body image and alexithymia in eating disorders

BACKGROUND

Body image disturbance and alexithymia are two core aspects of Eating Disorders (EDs). However, standard treatments for EDs do not include specific techniques to approach these issues on a bodily level. This pilot study evaluated the effects of a Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) intervention on body image and alexithymia in patients with EDs, and also explored their experience of the therapeutic process.

METHOD

14 patients with EDs were recruited from a private clinic. Seven were assigned via quasi-randomization to the DMT group and the others (n = 5) continued their treatment as usual. The length of the intervention was 14 weeks. All participants completed the Multidimensional Body Self Relations Questionnaire (MBSRQ) and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) at the beginning and at the end of the intervention. Additionally, the DMT group wrote reflective diaries about their experience at the end of each session, which were analyzed using qualitative methods.

RESULTS

Between the pre- and post-intervention, the participants of the DMT group significantly improved in Body Areas Satisfaction (effect size: 0.95) and Appearance Evaluation (effect size: 1.10), and they decreased significantly in Appearance Orientation (effect size: 1.30). A decrease in Overweight Preoccupation was observed (effect size: 0.75), however this was not statistically significant. The control group did not show significant changes in any of the MBSRQ subscales. Neither the DMT group nor the control group improved significantly in the alexithymia scores. The qualitative analysis revealed valuable insights into the participants' processes throughout the sessions. In general, participants received the DMT intervention positively. They reported improvements in their mood states and an increase in their self-awareness. They also appreciated the relationship with the group and the therapist.

CONCLUSION

These results indicate that DMT might be a complementary treatment option for EDs, as it may be able to address body image issues more effectively than verbal therapies. More studies with larger samples are needed to confirm these promising preliminary results.

Dance your stress away: comparing the effect of dance/movement training to aerobic exercise training on the cortisol awakening response in healthy older adults

This study aimed to examine in healthy older adults the effects of dance/movement training (DMT) on the cortisol awakening response (CAR), a marker of chronic stress. Forty participants (mean age = 67.45, 75% women) were randomized into three groups: DMT (n = 12) - a set of exercises to promote gross motor skills, body awareness, and socialization; aerobic exercise training (AT; n = 14) - high intensity activity on a recumbent bicycle, and wait list (WL; n = 14). Both DMT and AT groups were supervised by licensed instructors and met three times a week for three months. Before and after their respective program, participants of all groups provided saliva samples on 3 d at 0-, 30- and 60-min after awakening, and had their fitness level evaluated. A significant group × time interaction (F_(2,34) = 5.79, p = .01, η²_partial = 0.25) was found, with the DMT group showing lower salivary cortisol values post-training, while the other two groups showed no change from baseline in their CAR. Cardiorespiratory fitness improved only in the AT group, while DMT showed no group-specific physical functioning improvements. The results are discussed in terms of the importance of physical and psychological effects of training on change in cortisol levels.

Assessing Brief Changes in Adolescents' Mood: Development, Validation, and Utility of the Fast Assessment of Children's Emotions (FACE)

Mood states of youth have a strong influence on their cooperation, comfort, and engagement in many health care and educational settings. Children who are fearful, angry, or sad are more likely to have difficulty learning new skills or connecting with others. Many interventions are used in hospital and school settings to help youth, but it is difficult to assess their effectiveness without appropriate assessment tools that are easy to administer, age appropriate, and psychometrically sound. We examined the validity and reliability of the Fast Assessment of Children's Emotions (FACE). After obtaining parental consent and youth assent, 61 patients ages 12 to 17 years were recruited from the psychiatry services at a large children's hospital. Participants completed the FACE, the Brunel Mood Scale (BRUMS), and a measure of satiety at three time points-before and after a 60-minute psychotherapeutic intervention and after lunch. The FACE measure was significantly correlated with the BRUMS (r(2) = 0.85; p < .001) and not correlated with the satiety measure (r(2) = -0.17; not significant). Cronbach's α for the FACE was 0.7734. The FACE showed significant changes in mood from before to after the therapeutic intervention for all patients. For general psychiatry patients, the FACE did not change significantly after lunch, although for patients with eating disorders, the FACE did indicate an increase in distressed emotions after lunch. This finding indicates sensitivity to change in a clinically meaningful manner. The FACE is easy to use and may be used quickly to assess mood changes in adolescents.