Towards a neurocognitive approach to dance movement therapy for mental health: A systematic review

Millman, L. S. Merritt; Terhune, Devin Blair; Hunter, Elaine; Orgs, Guido

doi:10.1002/cpp.2490

Cited by 57 publications

(55 citation statements)

References 121 publications

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“…4,5 In recent decades, researchers have begun to study these effects empirically. 6 Meta-analyses suggest that dance interventions have potential to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression and enhance quality of life (QOL). 7 In addition, available data suggest that dance practice increases trait mindfulness, 7,8 possibly via enhanced embodied self-awareness.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Conscious dance: Perceived benefits and psychological well-being of participants

Laird

Vergeer

Hennelly

et al. 2021

Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice

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Background: Meta-analyses suggest that dance has potential to decrease psychological distress, increase trait mindfulness, and enhance quality of life. Conscious dance can be defined as unchoreographed, intentionally nonevaluative mindful movement commonly practiced in a group setting for purposes of authentic self-expression, self-discovery, interpersonal connectedness, and personal healing or growth.Objective: To assess perceived effects of conscious dance practice (e.g., Ecstatic Dance, 5Rhythms) and examine associations between frequency/ duration of practice and psychological well-being among participants. Methods: Self-identifying adult conscious dancers completed a survey (N=1003; mean age=47 years; 52% from the U.S; 78% White; 73% female).Results: Conscious dancers with ≥5 years of practice had significantly higher trait mindfulness and life satisfaction compared to newer practitioners. More frequent practice (≥ once per week) was associated with higher trait mindfulness. A strong majority of participants endorsed experiences consistent with mindfulness (i.e., feeling "more present in my body"; 99% of the sample) and psychological flow ("I felt like I was 'in the zone' or 'in the flow' of things"; 93% of the sample) during conscious dance. Among participants endorsing any of five stress-related health conditions, the majority reported therapeutic effects (i.e., that conscious dance "helped them cope" with the condition). Therapeutic effects were most consistently reported by individuals with depression or anxiety (96% endorsement), followed by those with a trauma 2 history (95%), chronic pain (89%), and history of substance abuse or addiction (88%). For all conditions except addiction, therapeutic effects were associated with greater experiences of psychological flow during dance, and the magnitude of these effects was large (Cohen's ds range: 1.0-2.3). Conclusion:Individuals who engage in conscious dance report that these practices help them to cope with stress-related health conditions. Participants reporting longer duration or greater frequency of practice scored higher on measures of psychological well-being. The feasibility and efficacy of conscious dance for improving well-being among individuals naïve to these approaches will be important to determine in future research.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Conscious dance: Perceived benefits and psychological well-being of participants

Laird

Vergeer

Hennelly

et al. 2021

Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Moreover, further research on the neuroscience of dance generally, as well as dance therapy specifically, could well help to improve the future design and implementation of dance therapy interventions (Millman et al, 2020).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Parkinson's Disease (Barnstaple and DeSouza, 2019;Batson et al, 2014;Leisman and Aviv, 2020;Shanahan et al, 2015), stroke, multiple sclerosis, Huntington's chorea (Patterson et al, 2018), traumatic brain injury (Kullberg-Turtiainen et al, 2019), neurodegeneration due to age (Burzynska et al, 2017b;Müller et al, 2017;Zilidou et al, 2018) and various mental health conditions (Barnstaple and DeSouza, 2019;Millman et al, 2020) such as depression and some psychoses (Koch et al, 2014;Lee et al, 2015;Malá et al, 2012;Margariti et al, 2012;Martin et al, 2016;Ventouras et al, 2015).…”

Section: Many Health Conditions Can Be Positively Affected By Dance Therapy Notable Examples Arementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Many studies have been carried out on its efficacy. For reviews see, e.g., (Mandelbaum and Lo, 2014;Kshtriya et al, 2015;Millman et al, 2020). However, relatively few studies have been carried out on the neurological changes associated with it.…”

Section: Many Health Conditions Can Be Positively Affected By Dance Therapy Notable Examples Arementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Further research on the neuroscience of dance generally, as well as dance therapy specifically, could well help to improve the future design and implementation of dance therapy interventions (Millman et al, 2020). Such research could be focused especially on carrying out larger scale studies, as well as investigating a wide range of health conditions.…”

Section: Dance Therapymentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

The Neuroscience of Dance: A Systematic Review of the Present State of Research and Suggestions for Future Work

Ofv¹,

Vuust²,

Ml³

et al. 2021

Preprint

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Ancient and culturally universal, dance is important in many areas of life and brings pleasure, motivational, and health benefits. This is the first comprehensive review of research into its neuroscientific aspects. To produce it, we devised a map of the field, identified relevant papers using the PRISMA guidelines, then summarised and evaluated the results of those papers. We also suggest avenues for future research in: the interactive and collective aspects of dance; groove; dance performance; dance observation; and dance therapy. The interactive and collective aspects of dance constitute a vital part of the field, but have received almost no attention to date. More research has been conducted in the other areas, but they would benefit from additional attention.

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Dance movement therapy for dementia

Karkou,

Aithal,

Richards

et al. 2023

Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews

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BackgroundDementia is a syndrome of acquired cognitive impairment which is severe enough to interfere with independent living. Over the course of the illness, people with dementia also experience changes in emotions, behaviour and social relationships. According to Alzheimer's Disease International, dementia a ects approximately 55 million people worldwide. The latest NICE guideline for dementia highlights the value of diverse treatment options for the di erent stages and symptoms of dementia, including non-pharmacological treatments. Relevant literature also argues for the value of interventions that acknowledge the complexity of the condition and address the person as a whole, including their physical, emotional, social and cognitive processes. A growing literature highlights the capacity of the arts and has embodied practices to address this complexity. Dance movement therapy (DMT) is an embodied psychological intervention that can address complexity and thus may be useful for people with dementia, but its e ectiveness remains unclear.

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Towards a neurocognitive approach to dance movement therapy for mental health: A systematic review

Cited by 57 publications

References 121 publications

Conscious dance: Perceived benefits and psychological well-being of participants

Conscious dance: Perceived benefits and psychological well-being of participants

The Neuroscience of Dance: A Systematic Review of the Present State of Research and Suggestions for Future Work

Dance movement therapy for dementia

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