(Re‑) Defining Dance/Movement Therapy Fifty Years Hence

Depression is a debilitating condition affecting more than 350 million people worldwide (WHO 2012) with a limited number of evidence-based treatments. Drug treatments may be inappropriate due to side effects and cost, and not everyone can use talking therapies.There is a need for evidence-based treatments that can be applied across cultures and with people who find it difficult to verbally articulate thoughts and feelings. Dance movement therapy (DMT) is used with people from a range of cultural and intellectual backgrounds, but effectiveness remains unclear. To examine the effects of DMT for depression with or without standard care, compared to no treatment or standard care alone, psychological therapies, drug treatment, or other physical interventions. Also, to compare the effectiveness of different DMT approaches. The Cochrane Depression, Anxiety and Neurosis Review Group's Specialised Register (CCDANCTR-Studies and CCDANCTR-References) and CINAHL were searched (to 2 Oct 2014) together with the World Health Organization's International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (WHO ICTRP) and ClinicalTrials.gov. The review authors also searched the Allied and Complementary Medicine Database (AMED), the Education Resources Information Center (ERIC) and Dissertation Abstracts (to August 2013), handsearched bibliographies, contacted professional associations, educational programmes and dance therapy experts worldwide. Inclusion criteria were: randomised controlled trials (RCTs) studying outcomes for people of any age with depression as defined by the trialist, with at least one group being DMT. DMT was defined as: participatory dance movement with clear psychotherapeutic intent, facilitated by an individual with a level of training that could be reasonably expected within the country in which the trial was conducted. For example, in the USA this would either be a trainee, or qualified and credentialed by the American Dance Therapy Association (ADTA). In the UK, the therapist would either be in training with, or accredited by, the Association for Dance Movement Psychotherapy (ADMP, UK). Similar professional bodies exist in Europe, but in some countries (e.g. China) where the profession is in development, a lower level of qualification would mirror the situation some decades previously in the USA or UK. Hence, the review authors accepted a relevant professional qualification (e.g. nursing or psychodynamic therapies) plus a clear description of the treatment that would indicate its adherence to published guidelines including Levy 1992, ADMP UK 2015, Meekums 2002, and Karkou 2006. Study methodological quality was evaluated and data were extracted independently by the first two review authors using a data extraction form, the third author acting as an arbitrator. Three studies totalling 147 participants (107 adults and 40 adolescents) met the inclusion criteria. Seventy-four participants took part in DMT treatment, while 73 comprised the control groups. Two studies included male and female adults with depression. One of these studies included outpatient participants; the other study was conducted with inpatients at an urban hospital. The third study reported findings with female adolescents in a middle-school setting. All included studies collected continuous data using two different depression measures: the clinician-completed Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D); and the Symptom Checklist-90-R (SCL-90-R) (self-rating scale).Statistical heterogeneity was identified between the three studies. There was no reliable effect of DMT on depression (SMD -0.67 95% CI -1.40 to 0.05; very low quality evidence). A planned subgroup analysis indicated a positive effect in adults, across two studies, 107 participants, but this failed to meet clinical significance (SMD -7.33 95% CI -9.92 to -4.73).One adult study reported drop-out rates, found to be non-significant with an odds ratio of 1.82 [95% CI 0.35 to 9.45]; low quality evidence. One study measured social functioning, demonstrating a large positive effect (MD -6.80 95 % CI -11.44 to -2.16; very low quality evidence), but this result was imprecise. One study showed no effect in either direction for quality of life (0.30 95% CI -0.60 to 1.20; low quality evidence) or self esteem (1.70 95% CI -2.36 to 5.76; low quality evidence). The low-quality evidence from three small trials with 147 participants does not allow any firm conclusions to be drawn regarding the effectiveness of DMT for depression. Larger trials of high methodological quality are needed to assess DMT for depression, with economic analyses and acceptability measures and for all age groups.

Since its inception in 1966, the American Dance Therapy Association (ADTA) has worked to develop standards of professional training. The initiation of a registry procedure was the organization’s first attempt to identify and set forth standards for clinical training. This task was often difficult due to three important factors: (1) the lack of in-depth training opportunities during the early years of the association; (2) the desire and motivation of the ADTA to establish a professional identity; and (3) the lack of a clearly defined body of knowledge. The emergence of graduate programs in dance therapy has positively affected the quality of training, lent credibility to the profession, and facilitated the discovery and exploration of a body of knowledge. This paper traces the historical development of dance therapy training in the ADTA.

Experiential classes that use dance/movement as the primary means of learning are universal in dance/movement therapy (DMT) graduate education programs in the United States. Yet, there have been no studies to determine what competencies develop in movement based experiential classes in DMT education. This is a report of a qualitative study that used thematic analysis to identify competencies that DMT students develop from movement based experiential learning (MBEL). Competencies identified in this study were compared to the education standards set by the American Dance Therapy Association (ADTA). As expected, MBEL was most instrumental in developing competencies for clinical practice and professional development. MBEL was less effective in developing competencies for multiculturalism and theoretical knowledge. The study identified a set of new competencies related to emotional intelligence that is not in the ADTA’s standards and is unique to student experiences in MBEL. This study focused on the student perspective, which can help address some of the weaknesses of current education practices. The article ends with the benefits and limitations of a competence based education for DMT.

The author, as co-editor of the American Journal of Dance Therapy, introduces six essays by a small group of experts, invited to share reflections on the social, political, economic, scientific, and cultural context for the development of the profession of dance/movement therapy (DMT) over the first half century of the American Dance Therapy Association (ADTA). Through allusions to pivotal events in the United States circa 1966, this introductory editorial characterizes the U.S. zeitgeist around the year of the ADTA’s founding. Specific references are made to the signing of the Voting Rights Act, the establishment of Medicaid and Medicare, the founding of the National Organization for Women, as well as the violent targeting of civil rights marchers in Selma, Alabama, and the spontaneous launching of the modern LGBT rights movement with the Stonewall Rebellion in New York’s Greenwich Village. Commentary on the six essays to follow the editorial includes discussion of DMT as a female-dominated profession, which has apparently suffered the economic consequences of gender bias. Strategies for countering devaluation of the profession and building respect for it—including improving dance/movement therapists’ cultural competence, upgrading both quantitative and qualitative research, and fostering alliances between the ADTA and sister institutions—are likewise advanced.

The sense of touch holds a unique role in creating, communicating, and forming social bonds. The American Dance Therapy Association (ADTA) has formally embraced the potential therapeutic benefits of touch such as safety, comfort, pain relief, grounding, bodily integration, awareness, regulation, and social connection while setting clear guidelines to mitigate its risks. Touch is also woven into the fabric of Western medicine through procedures or tasks and less often as a means of comfort. This project consists of a literature review and a journal article manuscript exploring the communicative role of touch within dance/movement therapy (DMT) near the end of life. A review of literature includes the neuroscience of interpersonal touch, the role of touch in human development across the lifespan, touch as nonverbal communication, attitudes toward touch in health care, touch in the context of COVID-19, and the ethics and use of touch in dance/movement therapy. The journal article manuscript is a narrative case description highlighting the communicative role of touch in dance/movement therapy near the end of life with a 66-year-old Caucasian, female with Glioblastoma Multiform, a terminal brain cancer, her 34-year-old daughter, and spouse. This project aims to demonstrate the importance of touch in nonverbal communication, the need for communication and connection near the end of life, and the ability of dance/movement therapists to encourage and facilitate these social and emotional connections through touch.

Book reviewed in this article: Looking for Me. 1970. A film by Norris Brock and Virginia Bartlett, produced by the American Dance Therapy Association Dance Therapy: The Power of Movement. 1982. A film by Norris Brock produced by the American Dance Therapy Association

The 50th anniversary of the American Dance Therapy Association (ADTA) is a celebration of our achievements over the last half-century and a time for analysis and reflection regarding all facets of the development of the profession of dance/movement therapy. This is an excellent occasion to look back at the history of the credentials process, and the evolution to Board certification. This article will trace the major historical events in the development of the ADTA credentials process from it’s inception to the current day, and explore both the internal and external factors that moved this process forward. It will also examine our credentials with a focus on some of the issues raised within the current health care climate.

The present work aims to efficiently carry out life-death education (LDE) for college students, improve their psychological problems, and reduce suicide accidents by combining LDE with Dance Movement Therapy (DMT). DMT is a psychosomatic cross therapy that treats mental or physical diseases through dance or improvisation. Firstly, this paper introduces LDE and DMT and designs the activities of DMT intervention. Secondly, the relationship between DMT and LDE is analyzed. Finally, a questionnaire survey is conducted on the research objects. The research objects are divided into the experimental group receiving DMT intervention, the control group participating in sports dance courses, and the benchmark group. The research data show no significant difference in interpersonal skills and emotional psychology among the three groups. The DMT intervention group has substantial changes in other factors except for the conflict control ability before and after the intervention. In addition, the questionnaire survey results after the intervention demonstrate that the DMT intervention group gets a significantly higher score in the interpersonal relationship, interpersonal relationship building ability, moderate rejection ability, self-disclosure ability, and emotional support ability. Therefore, DMT intervention positively impacts college students’ interpersonal relationships. After the sports dance course, there are differences in the total score of interpersonal ties and scores of interpersonal relationships building ability, self-disclosure ability, and emotional support ability in the control group, but with no significant difference in moderate rejection ability and conflict control ability. Therefore, compared with traditional psychotherapy methods, the DMT method reported here is conducive to releasing pressure and alleviating physical and mental anxiety. The research content provides new ideas for psychological education in colleges and universities and contributes to improving college students’ suicidal tendencies and helping college students grow up healthily.

The Effect of Dance Movement Therapy on Anxiety, Depression, and the Quality of Life in Climacteric WomenSun-Hee So 1 , Hyung-Jun Kim 2 , Hun-Yong Ha 3 , Nam-Song Kim 11 Graduate School of Preservation of Health, Won-Kwang University 2 School of Oriental Medicine, Se-Myung University 3 Dept. of Natural Medicine Resources, Se-Myung UniversityObjectives: The aim of this study is to find out the effects of dance move ment therapy(DMT) on anxiety, depression, and life quality by applyi ng DMT program to climacteric women. Methods: The subjects of the research are climacteric women between the ages of 45 and 55 who located in the city of oo in Chollabukdo. The program was conducted with the subjects of a total of 27 women less than on e year after menopause, 14 in the experiment group and 13 in the comparison group, 90 minutes a session, once a week, for 15 weeks. Results: The results show that the points of anxiety and depression dec reased significantly in the experiment group which participated in the DMT program (p<0.05). The points of life increased significantly in physica l & mental wellbeing, competence, and stability (p<0.05). Vitality points increased, but not significantly. Conclusions: This means that DMT decreases anxiety and depression of climacteric women, has positive effects on life quality related to health, and can help increase physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing of clim acteric women. Key Words: DMT, anxiety, depression, mental, emotional wellbeing

This review examined the effectiveness of using dance movement therapy (DMT) and dance movement interventions (DMIs) with cancer and palliative care patients. A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Six databases were searched from inception to July 9, 2022, without limits on year or age. Searching was updated on July 10, 2023. The risk of bias was assessed by the Cochrane (RoB 2) and ROBINS-I tools. Meta-analyses were conducted to pool estimates of the effects of DMT and DMI on patients' health-related outcomes. A narrative synthesis of outcomes was performed where meta-analysis was not appropriate. Among a total of 16 studies included in this review, nine were randomized controlled trials and seven were non-randomized trials, with a total of 893 participants. Only six of these studies were fully or partially described as true DMTs (some with less clarity than others), whereas the majority (n = 10) were DMIs with unclear therapeutic alignment. Most studies focused on female patients with breast cancer. Cancer patients undergoing palliative care received little attention. The overall risk of bias from the evaluated studies was high. Meta-analysis of two trials revealed that DMTs had no effect on QOL in cancer patients (SMD - 0.09, 95% CI - 0.21-0.40, P = 0.54), while narrative analysis and non-randomized trials showed no overall effect of DMTs on anxiety, depression, body image, self-esteem, or sleep disturbance but significant positive effects on perceived stress, pain severity, and pain interference. DMIs had significant positive effects on cancer patients' depression (SMD - 0.53, 95% CI - 0.93 to - 0.14, P = 0.008) and fatigue (SMD - 0.42, 95% CI - 0.70 to - 0.14, P = 0.003). DMI trials synthesized narratively showed an effect on patients' body image, self-esteem, physical function, right and left handgrip strength, life satisfaction, and the mental component of QOL. Both DMT and DMIs had promisingeffects on severalhealth outcomes, but results were inconsistent, and the evidence was weak. The reviewed studies' low evidence quality and small sample sizes affected the findings' robustness and reliability. Large-scale, high-quality randomized controlled trials with sufficient sample sizes, and clear and veracious DMT and DMI protocols and data are required to provide more credible research evidence and influence practice.

The aim of this qualitative interview analysis is to consider the different perspectives of Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) therapists/practitioner's views from Canada and India on the significance of incorporating movement in the lives of individuals with diverse abilities. The purpose of this study is to determine the importance, need, positive impact, techniques and benefits of DMT. And further, understand DMT as a creative approach to therapy. The study included a semi-structured interview style. The sample consisted of six participants. Coding of themes was carried through NVivo software and manually. Six themes emerged from analysing the data. The results of the study implied that there are considerable positive effects of incorporating DMT on the various domains of the individual such as emotional, physical, cognitive and social. Participants of the study shared their experiences and perceptions which was linked to the literature of the study. Findings suggest, integrating alternate creative therapy methods like DMT, alongside traditional therapy sessions may generate a steady growth in enabling individuals with diverse needs to achieve their goals. Additionally, DMT indeed has a positive impact on the overall well-being of the individual. Furthermore, DMT is applicable for all abilities.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a key treatment for anxiety and depression. However, CBT alone has limitations in adolescents due to emotional imbalances. Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) allows adolescents to express emotions in a way that is active and socially acceptable. In adults, DMT in combination with CBT is an effective approach for treating mental health conditions. However, there is limited literature on the impact of DMT in adolescents and no studies on potential long-term benefits. This paper reviews current publications on DMT as a therapeutic tool for mental health treatment in adolescents, including background on DMT, neurophysiological concepts, the mirror neuron system (MNS) and the potential benefits of combined CBT/DMT. This review suggests that due to the challenges of studying DMT (e.g., limited use of functional MRI (fMRI) in a moving dancer), more studies are necessary to evaluate the efficacy and application of combined therapy. This review also recommends exploration of new platforms to deliver DMT, such as smartphone apps, metaverse and virtual reality (VR). This could make combined therapy more successful, affordable, and accessible to a wider population. Future research should be focused on longitudinal studies on combined CBT/DMT in adolescents.

Schizophrenia interferes with many aspects of a patient's life, causing deficits in cognitive, perceptual, motor, emotional, and social functioning. Patients who experience social isolation can feel loneliness, with decreased interaction that will also affect their cognitive function. There were 183 schizophrenia patients in the social rehabilitation unit, and around 25% (45) patients with symptoms of social isolation. This condition causes the patient to experience a decrease in activity which in the end the patient becomes unproductive, the patient's quality of life decreases and the prognosis for schizophrenia will get worse. This condition will increase the burden of care for both the family and the patient's place of care, and if the burden of caring increases, the quality of caring will decrease. One of the psychotherapy recommendations for schizophrenia patients with social isolation is movement therapy. Movement therapy used in this activity is dance movement therapy and aerobic therapy. The patients involved in this activity were 10 patients for dance movement therapy and 10 patients for aerobic therapy. The results obtained after the implementation of dance movement therapy were that the patient experienced a decrease in the loneliness scale in 10 patients. Meanwhile, aerobic therapy for ten patients experienced an increase in cognitive function of 1-3 scores. This method can be developed in the form of audio-visual and the patient can do it alone without being accompanied by a therapist and being observed. So that this activity can be a recommendation for additional therapy in schizophrenia patients with social isolation. Key words : Movement therapy, dance movement therapy, aerobic therapy, social isolation

The perceived benefits of Dance Movement Therapy for parents of a child on the autism spectrum: A pilot study

This research study explores how dance movement therapy (DMT) enhances mother–infant attachment and experience. The multidimensional effects of the transition to motherhood are considered and how this may impact upon the mother's sense of space. The intervention study carried out with 20 healthy mother–infant dyads in two countries evaluated if DMT could enhance interactive attachment. This study built upon research within developmental psychology, DMT and psychoanalytical theory. Quantitative data is collated using the PANAS schedule. Qualitative data collected mother's perception of their infants' response to the sessions, the process as a whole, and the perceived benefits of the programme. Findings demonstrated that the DMT sessions improved mothers' affect significantly. Qualitative data revealed the importance of the relational and physical space between mothers and their babies as provided by the DMT session. Comparative and contrasting results were discovered regarding aspects most valued in the session according to socio-cultural context.