Dance movement psychotherapy’s impact on emotional well-being in severe mental disorders: a quantitative study

Abstract

Dance movement psychotherapy (DMP) is a technique rooted in the mind-body connection, utilising bodily movement to facilitate relational integration, personal and interpersonal functioning, and effective emotional regulation. A dance therapy program of six sessions was investigated to measure changes in the mood, health, and general well-being in 20 adults with Severe Mental Disorders (SMD), including mostly schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Divided into a control group focusing on positive emotions, and an experimental group exploring negative emotions, a quantitative approach with a quasi-experimental and correlational design with a test-retest procedure was employed. Findings revealed significant differences for both groups in all factors of the EVEA Scale and PERMA-Profiler Questionnaire, except for the ‘Meaning’ variable. Additionally, intra-group correlations indicated unfavourable concordance scores during the test-retest phase and an increase in health construct scores was evident.

Keywords:

• Positive emotions
• negative emotions
• dance therapy
• severe mental disorder
• emotional regulation

Acknowledgements

To the Mental Health professionals of the Canary Health Service and to the Dependency Unit of the Institute of Social and Socio-sanitary Attention of the Island Council of Tenerife.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

No financial support has been received for this work.

Notes on contributors

Nayra Caballero Estebaranz

Nayra Caballero Estebaranz, PhD in Medical Sciences. Degree in psychology, Professor of Psychology. Health Science Department. European University of the Canary Islands, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain.

Noelia García Possamay

Noelia García Possamay, Degree in psychology, psychologist at Asociación Canaria de Terapias Creativas (ASCATEC).

Celia León Palacín

Celia León Palacín, Degree in psychology.

Eugénie Pirat

Eugénie Pirat, Degree in Occupational Therapy.

Francisco Rodríguez Pulido

Francisco Rodríguez Pulido, PhD and Professor of Psychiatry at the University of La Laguna.