Dance movement therapy with the elderly: An international Internet-based survey undertaken with practitioners

Abstract

The over 65 age group is constantly increasing in size. Resource-oriented treatment approaches such as dance movement therapy (DMT) are becoming more important as they preserve the dignity of the elderly, respect their individual needs and improve social participation. An international internet-based survey was sent to 683 DMT colleagues, of which 113 practitioners from Austria, Germany and Switzerland responded to the following questions: To what extent can older people benefit through DMT? What themes emerge in the sessions? Which therapeutic interventions are applied? What are the recommendations with regard to working conditions and the strengths and coping strategies of therapists? The qualitative data analysis reveals that practitioners agree that DMT improves the quality of life of elderly people, fosters maintenance of their relationships and expands their resources and participation in activities. The results assist us in formulating specific intervention recommendations.

Keywords::

• dance movement therapy
• the elderly
• practitioners’ opinion
• internet-based survey
• practice-based evidence

Acknowledgements

I would like to warmly thank all the colleagues who participated in the survey and generously shared their expertise. Many thanks go to Elizabeth Marks who proofread the English manuscript. Special thanks go to my colleagues Fritz Frauenfelder and Bernhard Frey who kindly gave important feedback.

Notes

^1. Cronbach's Alpha for Psychological Health is insufficient (α = .45); therefore, both items are calculated separately: Reduction of Suicidal Thoughts (n = 59, M = 4.6 SD = .55), Improvement of Mental Well-Being (n = 58, M = 4.9, SD = .26).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Iris Bräuninger

Dr Iris Bräuninger is a researcher at the Department for Research and Development, University Hospital of Psychiatric Zurich, a DMT supervisor with the German and Spanish Association, a registered dance therapist with the ADTA (DTR), a KMP notator and she holds the European Certificate for Psychotherapy (ECP). She was a post-doctoral researcher at the Stress and Resilience Research Team at the University of Deusto Bilbao. Iris teaches internationally and at the DMT Masters Program Autonomous University Barcelona and is a Master thesis tutor. Her research focuses on DMT efficacy, improvement of quality of life, stress management and resilience through DMT, and the development of movement assessment tools (KMP). She has published extensively on DMT.