Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) Interventions

Stress, which occurs when an individual perceives that the demands of an external situation are beyond his or her perceived ability to cope with them, can reduce quality of life. To cope with stress and to improve one’s QOL, stress management and coping strategies are needed. Stress management “refers to the identification and analysis of problems related to stress, and the application of a variety of therapeutic tools to alter either the source of stress or the experience of stress”. Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) appears to protect against the onset of dementia and to stabilize cognitive functions, memory recall and language abilities in Alzheimer disease patients. Furthermore, DMT improves body image and psychosocial functioning decreases psychological and body image distress among obese clients and increases stress management and self-awareness among clients with eating disorders.

DMT has been shown to be effective for the treatment of depression, schizophrenia, psychosis, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. Brain trauma patients have exhibited positive improvements in cognitive performance, social interaction, and physical parameters after participating in DMT. Parkinson disease patients exhibit improved balance and coordination and a reduced frequency of falls and heart failure. Hypertensive patients exhibit improvements in selected cardiovascular parameters and in estimated maximal oxygen consumption. Stress management and problem-solving skills improve in cancer patients with DMT.

Children also appear to benefit from participating in DMT programs: these children exhibited reduced aggressive behaviour and improved social skills. DMT exerts a positive effect on coping mechanisms among war-traumatized children and exerts an inhibitory effect on depression among university students. DMT education programs raise the awareness of teachers to children’s mental health issues, increase tolerance, empower women and improve empathy.

Information provided by the following source:
Braeuninger. (2014). Specific dance movement therapy interventions—Which are successful? An intervention and correlation study. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 41(5), 445–457.