Dance movement therapy group intervention in stress treatment: A randomized controlled trial (RCT)

Abstract

This randomized controlled trial compares the effect of a dance movement therapy (DMT) group intervention on stress management improvement and stress reduction with a wait-listed control group (WG). 162 self-selected clients suffering from stress were randomly assigned to a WG or a DMT intervention that received 10 group therapy sessions. Stress management [Stressverarbeitungsfragebogen/SVF 120], psychopathology and overall distress (Brief Symptom Inventory/BSI) were evaluated at baseline (t1: pre-test), immediately after completion of the ten sessions DMT group intervention (t2: post-test), and 6 months after the DMT treatment (t3: follow-up test). Analysis of variance was calculated to evaluate the between-group (time×condition) and within-group (time) effect of the DMT intervention. Negative stress management strategies decreased significantly in the short-term at t2 (p<.005) and long-term at t3 (p<.05), Positive Strategy Distraction improved significantly in the short-term (p<.10), as well as Relaxation (p<.10). Significant short-term improvements were observed in the BSI psychological distress scales Obsessive-Compulsive (p<.05), Interpersonal Sensitivity (p<.10), Depression (p<.05), Anxiety (p<.005), Phobic Anxiety (p<.01), Psychoticism (p<.05), and in Positive Symptom Distress (p<.02). Significant long-term improvement in psychological distress through DMT existed in Interpersonal Sensitivity (p<.05), Depression (p<.000), Phobic Anxiety (p<.05), Paranoid Thinking (p<.005), Psychoticism (p<.05), and Global Severity Index (p<.01). Results indicate that DMT group treatment is more effective to improve stress management and reduce psychological distress than non-treatment. DMT effects last over time.