Psychological Risk Factors and Outcomes of Dance Injury: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Historically, dance medicine and science has focused on the physical aspects rather than the psychological aspects of dance injury. Psychological variables, however, have been shown to influence the occurrence of injury and post-injury outcomes. The purpose of this review was to examine the dance psychology literature and determine the specific psychological factors reported to be associated with the incidence, frequency, and outcome of dance injuries. A systematic literature search was conducted using SPORTDiscus, MEDLINE, CINAHL, and PsycINFO. All retrieved articles were screened based on criteria developed a priori, and selected articles were subsequently assessed for quality. Thirteen studies met the inclusion and quality assessment criteria. Psychological factors associated with both risk and outcome of dance injury included the following: stress, psychological distress, disordered eating, and coping. Factors associated only with risk of injury were sleep, personality, and social support. The results suggest that psychological variables can affect both the incidence and outcome of dance injury among dancers. Therefore, it is critical to gain a well-rounded, thorough understanding of all the factors, including psychological, that have a negative impact on dancers with respect to dance injury. The findings are discussed in terms of the utility of including psychological assessment and intervention, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, when implementing preventative and treatment measures in dance schools and companies.

The Role of Perfectionism and Controlling Conditions in Norwegian Elite Junior Performers’ Motivational Processes

“…Elite junior performers in sport and performing art are at increased risk for poor functioning and ill-being compared to the average population, due to the unique requirements associated with reaching excellence (Hill A. et al, 2016; Mainwaring and Finney, 2017; Drew et al, 2018). This urges scholars to address risk factors (e.g., traits and conditions) to better safeguard talent development environments (TDEs).…”

The Relationship Between Occupational Demands and Well-Being of Performing Artists: A Systematic Review

“…In a study by Pecen et al (2018), professional musicians recognised experiencing psychological challenges related to coping with affective experiences connected with expressive performance and managing personal expectations. Further, research with dancers (Mainwaring and Finney, 2017) and circus artists (Shrier and Hallé, 2011) has highlighted the potential negative effect of intrapersonal demands and their relation to injury.…”

Limited Coping Skills, Young Age, and High BMI Are Risk Factors for Injuries in Contemporary Dance: A 1-Year Prospective Study

“…Therefore, future research within dance should investigate other risk factors as well. For instance, several studies have shown that joint range of motion (i.e., lower extremity), dance exposure (i.e., years of training, exposure hours), poor aerobic capacity ( Kenny et al, 2016 ), and stress ( Mainwaring and Finney, 2017 ) are associated with injury risk. These factors might illuminate part of the unexplained variance in the current multivariate regression model and should, therefore, be included in future studies.…”

“…However, previous studies aiming at identifying risk factors for ballet and modern dance injuries have shown little consistence due to a lack of quality and level of evidence (Kenny et al, 2016). Moreover, dance medicine and science has traditionally focused on the physical aspects of injuries (Krasnow et al, 1999;Liederbach and Compagno, 2001;Mainwaring and Finney, 2017), while studies including dancers and athletes have shown that psychological constructs might also influence the occurrence of (dance) injuries and affect injury outcomes, including successful rehabilitation, duration of injury, and treatment-seeking behavior (Mainwaring and Finney, 2017;Reardon et al, 2019). Furthermore, mental skills can be considered adaptable (Kenny et al, 2016), which makes them appropriate for preventive measures.…”