Dance Movement Therapy Intervention Research Articles

Dance/movement therapy for improving metabolic parameters in long-term veterans with schizophrenia

Accumulating evidence has supported the implementation of dance/movement therapy (DMT) as a promising intervention for patients with schizophrenia (SCZ). However, its effect on body weight and metabolic profile in SCZ remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the outcome of a 12-week DMT session on weight and lipid profile in patients with SCZ using a randomized, single-blinded, controlled trial design. This study encompassed two groups of long-term hospitalized patients with SCZ, who were randomly assigned to the DMT intervention (n = 30) or the treatment as usual (TAU) group (n = 30). Metabolic markers, including weight, body mass index (BMI), fasting glucose, triglycerides, and total cholesterol were measured in both groups at two measurement points (at baseline and the end of the 12-week treatment). We found that DMT intervention significantly decreased body weight (F = 5.5, p = 0.02) and BMI (F = 5.7, p = 0.02) as compared to the TAU group. However, no significance was observed in other metabolic markers, including fasting glucose, triglycerides, and total cholesterol after treatment (all p > 0.05). Our study indicates that a 12-week, 24-session DMT program may be effective in decreasing body weight and BMI in long-term hospitalized patients with SCZ. DMT intervention may be a promising treatment strategy for long-term inpatients in the psychiatric department.

Harmonizing Mind, Body, and Earth: Exploring the Therapeutic Synergy of Dance Movement Therapy and Ecopsychology

Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) has emerged as a versatile and impactful approach to promoting holistic well-being, bridging the intricate connections between the mind, body, and the environment. This comprehensive literature review explores the diverse landscape of recent studies to illuminate the therapeutic potential of DMT in addressing various mental health concerns and enhancing overall psychological and physiological health. The exploration begins with Berger's (2021) investigation into the intersection of DMT practices and ecopsychology, highlighting the development of an eco-somatic community workshop. This study underscores the healing potential of an embodied connection to the natural world, fostering a sense of kinship and responsibility to both individual and collective well-being. Further insights are provided through examinations of DMT interventions with adolescents, biomolecular effects of dance activities, and the widespread use of grounding exercises. Studies by Auborg (2018), Nieves and Jakobsche (2022), and Bräuninger (2015) collectively emphasize the positive impact of movement experiences on motivation, emotional well-being, and the mind-body connection, particularly in populations dealing with anxiety and depression. Additionally, research by Elakiya (2021), Hyvönen et al. (2020), and Karkou et al. (2019) showcases the efficacy of DMT in reducing anxiety and depression levels across diverse populations, including nursing students, individuals diagnosed with depression, and adults coping with Parkinson's disease. The exploration extends to the realm of children's mental health, with Nardi et al.'s (2022) qualitative assessment of DMT techniques for children with anxiety, providing insights into thetherapeutic model based on "mirroring" interventions. These findings collectively underscore the versatility and applicability of DMT in addressing mental health challenges across various demographics and contexts. As the research unfolds, a comprehensive understanding of DMT's therapeutic potential emerges, emphasizing its role in fostering well-being and addressing mental health concerns within an evolving and diverse landscape.

Let the Body Talk: Preliminary Data of an Open Trial of Dance Movement Therapy for Eating Disorders.

There is growing support for considering Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) as an effective approach to improving physical and psychological symptoms in eating disorders (ED), but additional evidence is needed. The current study aims to investigate the effectiveness of a DMT intervention for inpatients with ED during an in-hospital rehabilitation program for ED in reducing emotion dysregulation and alexithymia and improving interoceptive awareness. Forty-nine consecutive inpatient young women with ED (aged between 18 and 34 years) recruited from a clinical center for the rehabilitation of obesity and ED received four group sessions of DMT intervention. All participants completed the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS), and the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness Scale (MAIA) before (Time 0) and after the intervention (Time 1). Paired-sample t-tests were run to assess differences between Time 0 to Time 1. From pre-to-post interventions, there was a significant reduction in the means of all of the subscales of DERS, suggesting an improvement in emotion regulation competencies, with the only exception for difficulties in awareness that increased (p = 0.016). We also found a significant reduction in alexithymia, as proved by significant differences in all of the subscales and the total score of TAS (p < 0.001), and significant improvements in interoceptive awareness as suggested by increased scores of the noticing (p = 0.043), emotional awareness (p < 0.001), body listening (p < 0.001), and trusting (p < 0.001) subscales of MAIA. Overall, our results point towards the efficacy of dance/movement in reducing symptoms of eating disorders. Our findings also suggest that dancing can be considered a useful intervention to increase emotional regulation, reduce alexithymia, and enhance interoceptive awareness.

Investigating the emotional content of older adults engaging in a fall prevention exercise program integrated with dance movement therapy: a preliminary study.

Fall prevention interventions for older adults have primarily focused on the physical aspects, overlooking the emotional aspects inherent in falls. This qualitative study presents a novel fall prevention intervention that integrates physical therapy exercise (PTE) based on the Otago Exercise Program with Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) to address the emotional experience during PTE. The aim of this study is to explore the emotional content expressed by older adults during balance-focused exercises and the unique emotional content expressions following the PTE + DMT intervention compared to the PTE intervention. Eleven older adults (aged 81-91 years) from a day center were randomly assigned to either the PTE + DMT group (n = 6) or the PTE group (n = 5). Interpretative phenomenological analysis of the instructors' observations and process diary identified three themes that emerged during the sessions: (1) self-image and self-worth, (2) the individual in relation to others, and (3) past memories. These themes highlight both similarities and differences between the groups. These findings provide valuable insights into the emotional experiences encountered by older adults, particularly in the context of falls prevention practices. Recognizing, understanding, and facilitating the expression of these experiences can enhance the effectiveness of fall prevention interventions and contribute to the overall health of older adults.

Dance/movement therapy as a holistic approach to diminish health discrepancies and promote wellness for people with schizophrenia: a review of the literature.

Individuals with a diagnosis of schizophrenia face a myriad of obstacles to wellness, beginning with diagnostic discrepancies including over- and misdiagnoses on the schizophrenia spectrum. People with schizophrenia experience profound amounts of stigmatization from the general population, their healthcare providers, and even themselves. Such stigmatization creates a barrier for wellness, poorer prognoses, and often limits adherence to physical and mental healthcare. Moreover, it can exacerbate the already stifling symptomatology of their diagnoses, including specific bodily-related symptomatology. Oftentimes, a diagnosis of schizophrenia disrupts one's relationship with their body including a diminished mind-body connection, decreased interoceptive awareness, and thus unsuccessful intra- and interpersonal relationships. Some recent research suggests the use of mind-body therapies, however, if these practices are internalizing, they may not be appropriate for people with schizophrenia experiencing more acute symptomatology excluding them from treatment. Dance/movement therapy (DMT) is an embodied psychotherapeutic treatment option that can support participants in improving mind-body connection, social relationships, and self-regulatory skill development. Research on DMT has shown promising results for people with schizophrenia, however such research is limited and would benefit from increased studies that particularly measure the effects of DMT on mind-body connection and increased interoception for people with schizophrenia. Moreover, integrative and collaborative treatment models that couple DMT and biofeedback may further our understanding of the physiological and neurological effects of DMT interventions for people with schizophrenia and beyond. This review will examine the recent literature on health inequities for people with schizophrenia, their specific body-based disruptions and needs, and DMT as a promising treatment model, particularly when coupled with biofeedback.

Dance/movement therapy for improving balance ability and bone mineral density in long-term patients with schizophrenia: a randomized controlled trial

Fractures are common accidents for long-term hospitalized patients with schizophrenia (SZ) in psychiatric hospitals, and once they occur, patients usually endure the pain of fractures for a long time. Accumulating evidence has supported the implementation of dance/movement therapy (DMT) as a promising intervention for patients with SZ. However, no research has been conducted to investigate its role in balance ability in SZ. This study was designed to investigate the efficacy of a 12-week DMT intervention in bone mineral density and balance ability in patients with SZ using a randomized, controlled trial design. A total of 58 veterans with SZ were randomly assigned to the DMT intervention group (n = 29) and the treatment-as-usual (TAU) group (n = 29). Bone mineral density (BMD) and balance ability were measured in both groups at two measurement points (at baseline and at the end of Week 12). We found that patients in the DMT intervention group had significant improvements in BMD and balance ability compared with the TAU group by using repeated measures analysis of variance. Treatment with DMT demonstrated a significant improvement in BMD from baseline to week 12 (0.03, 95% CI: 0.01–0.05). For the Berg total score and static and dynamic balance, the mean changes in the DMT group were 7.3 (95% CI: 5.6–9.0), 4.0 (95% CI: 0.9–7.1), and 3.7 (95% CI: 2.6–4.8), respectively. Regression analysis showed that baseline BMD was a significant predictor of improvement in BMD from baseline to week 12 in the DMT group (β = 0.58, p < 0.001). Our results suggest for the first time that DMT intervention may be effective in beneficially regulating BMD and balance ability in SZ patients.

Reliability and short version of the Dunphy Outcomes Framework (DOF): Integrating the art and science of dance movement therapy

There is an increasing requirement of evidence-based outcome frameworks in the health sciences. This article presents the Dunphy Outcomes Framework (DOF) for dance movement therapy (DMT), the first generic outcomes framework for DMT. The framework is posited to measure outcomes intrinsic to DMT, and comprehensive for all client groups and contexts. It is therefore suggested as suitable for assessment of DMT interventions and clients’ progress. The DOF comprises six domains (physical, cultural, cognitive, emotional, social and integration), further divided into sub-domains and objectives. Informed by theory and evidence, both from published research and professional practice, the DOF has been developed through an extensive Delphi-like consultation process. The article presents the DOF and data on its reliability and validity. Reliability testing confirmed the factor structure of the original DOF with very good scale homogeneity and excellent interrater-reliability. Heuristically based on the results of an exploratory factor analysis that yielded six dimensions – five corresponding to the original DOF domains, with a slightly different weight of factors – a short version of the DOF (DOF-BREVE) is proposed. Benefits and limitations of the DOF as an assessment tool for the profession of DMT and creative arts therapies are discussed.

Utilization, Delivery, and Outcomes of Dance/Movement Therapy for Pediatric Oncology Patients and their Caregivers: A Retrospective Chart Review.

Children with cancer and their caregivers face physical and psychosocial challenges during and after treatment. Dance/movement therapy (DMT) has been used to improve well-being, promote healthy coping, and mitigate the impact of illness, but limited knowledge exists regarding DMT utilization, delivery, and outcomes in pediatric oncology. This retrospective study aimed to identify reasons for referral to DMT, DMT visit characteristics, key DMT techniques and processes, and clinician-reported outcomes. We examined the electronic medical records of 100 randomly selected pediatric patients (resulting in 1160 visits) who received DMT services between 2011 and 2021. Sociodemographic, clinical, and visit characteristics, referral reasons, and clinician-reported outcomes were reported as frequency and proportions. Qualitative thematic analysis was used to identify key DMT techniques and processes. Among 100 patients (63% female, aged 0-27 years), 77.9% were referred for psychological distress and 19.6% for pain. Two distinct DMT approaches were used during visits: a traditional DMT approach (77%) and a multisensory DMT approach (23%). The most common visit length was 15-25 min (41.6%), followed by sessions of 30-45 min (22.5%) and ≤10 min (18.1%). A total of 61.9% of DMT visits were inpatient and 38.1% outpatient. Of all visits, 8.8% were new and 91.2% were follow-ups. Caregivers were engaged in treatment in 43.7% of visits, and 5.5% of visits focused entirely on the work with the caregiver. DMT intervention focused on self-expression, emotional self-regulation, coping strategies, socialization, and caregiver-child interaction. Clinician-reported outcomes included enhanced coping with hospital experience (58%), improved pain management (27%), improved self-regulation (21%), and increased physical activation (13.2%). The results suggest DMT as a supportive intervention for psychological distress and pain management in pediatric oncology patients and provide insights into DMT practices and outcomes to guide intervention development and future research.

Exploring the Influence of Parental Literacy Status on the Implementation of Dance Movement Therapy for Motor Skill Development in Children with Intellectual Disability in India

This paper focuses on examining the influence of parental literacy status in the implementation of Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) for the development of motor skills in children with intellectual disabilities in India. The study aims to explore the potential impact of parental literacy on engagement, participation, and outcomes of DMT interventions, ultimately informing strategies to optimize therapy effectiveness. The research incorporates the use of the Behavioral Assessment Scales for Indian Children with Mental Retardation (Basic-MR, Part A) to assess the impact of parental literacy on the outcomes of DMT interventions.&#x0D; Literacy status of parents, particularly in low- and middle-income countries like India, can significantly affect various aspects of a child's development, including their access to education, healthcare, and therapies. However, there is limited research exploring the specific role of parental literacy in the context of DMT interventions for children with intellectual disabilities in India.&#x0D; This study adopts a mixed-methods research design, combining quantitative measurements and qualitative insights. A sample of children with intellectual disabilities, aged between 7 and 15 years, will be recruited from special education schools from Odisha, India.  The DMT intervention will be carried out over a designated period, with trained dance movement therapists tailoring the sessions to meet the individual needs and abilities of the children. The impact of the intervention will be evaluated using the Behavioral Assessment Scales for Indian Children with Mental Retardation (Basic-MR, Part A), which provides a comprehensive assessment of motor skills including locomotor and object control skills. Quantitative data, including pre- and post-intervention assessments, will be analyzed to determine the influence of parental literacy on motor skill development outcomes.&#x0D; This study aims to enhance our understanding of how parental literacy status influences the implementation of DMT and motor skill development in children with intellectual disabilities in India. By recognizing the impact of parental literacy and addressing potential challenges, the study aims to optimize the effectiveness of DMT interventions for children with intellectual disabilities. The findings will have practical implications for therapists, educators, policymakers, and other stakeholders involved in culturally sensitive intervention programs, promoting comprehensive motor skill development in children with intellectual disabilities in India.

Dance/movement therapy as a holistic approach to diminish health discrepancies and promote wellness for people with schizophrenia: a review of the literature

Individuals with a diagnosis of schizophrenia face a myriad of obstacles to wellness, beginning with diagnostic discrepancies including over- and misdiagnoses on the schizophrenia spectrum. People with schizophrenia experience profound amounts of stigmatization from the general population, their healthcare providers, and even themselves. Such stigmatization creates a barrier for wellness, poorer prognoses, and often limits adherence to physical and mental healthcare. Moreover, it can exacerbate the already stifling symptomatology of their diagnoses, including specific bodily-related symptomatology. Oftentimes, a diagnosis of schizophrenia disrupts one’s relationship with their body including a diminished mind-body connection, decreased interoceptive awareness, and thus unsuccessful intra- and interpersonal relationships. Some recent research suggests the use of mind-body therapies, however, if these practices are internalizing, they may not be appropriate for people with schizophrenia experiencing more acute symptomatology excluding them from treatment. Dance/movement therapy (DMT) is an embodied psychotherapeutic treatment option that can support participants in improving mind-body connection, social relationships, and self-regulatory skill development. Research on DMT has shown promising results for people with schizophrenia, however such research is limited and would benefit from increased studies that particularly measure the effects of DMT on mind-body connection and increased interoception for people with schizophrenia. Moreover, integrative and collaborative treatment models that couple DMT and biofeedback may further our understanding of the physiological and neurological effects of DMT interventions for people with schizophrenia and beyond. This review will examine the recent literature on health inequities for people with schizophrenia, their specific body-based disruptions and needs, and DMT as a promising treatment model, particularly when coupled with biofeedback.

Dance Movement Therapy Intervention on Anxiety Symptoms in Palliative and Hospice Carers in Nursing Department

This article demonstrates the effect of using Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) to alleviate stress symptoms in Palliative and Hospice carers. Twenty-five carers participated in the study, and ten of them underwent DMT. Researchers recorded the changes in these participants' movement patterns during three therapy sessions and analyzed the results using Laban's effort-shape system. By comparing the movement patterns before and after the therapy, the study shows a significant improvement in stress levels among palliative and hospice carers. However, further studies are needed to strengthen the evidence base.

Dance movement therapy group improves social functioning and increases positive embodied experiences in social situations

This Finnish study examined the impacts of a group-form dance movement therapy intervention on the social functioning, attachment styles, and embodied experiences during social situations of its participants. The sample consisted of Finnish working-age adults with diagnosed depression who were randomised into intervention and control groups. Participants responded to surveys at three measurement points: pre- and post-intervention, and a follow-up 3 months later. The quantitative results showed that social functioning increased in the intervention group between the pre-intervention and follow-up measurement points but there was no change in attachment styles. The embodied experiences of participants during social situations were analysed qualitatively. The prevalence of avoidant reactions and insecurity decreased between the pre-intervention and follow-up measurement points. This study deepens understanding of the embodied experiences depression sufferers encounter in social situations, and provides insight into the ways in which dance movement therapy may be effective in decreasing depressive symptoms.

Effectiveness of dance/movement therapy in individuals with intellectual disability: a systematic review

This systematic review aimed to verify the quality of analyses using PRISMA guidelines and evaluate the effectiveness of dance/movement therapy (DMT) interventions in individuals with intellectual disabilities. As search engines, Medline, PubMed, and Web of Science were used to select the studies under specific requirements. We also used the American Journal of Dance Therapy as an additional search. Five studies were selected after the final screening. Regarding the levels of evidence (LOE), two studies had an LOE of 3 and three studies had an LOE of 4. The risk of bias (ROB) through quality assessment of controlled intervention studies showed a high ROB in all selected studies. Although the results showed the low LOE and high ROB, the selected studies reported that DMT interventions improved motor skills, body knowledge, emotional well-being, skin temperature in fingers, and muscle relaxation in individuals with moderate to severe IQ from young adults to middle-aged adults.

PENGARUH DANCE MOVEMENT THERAPY DAN TARI KELINCIKU TERHADAP PERKEMBANGAN MOTORIK KASAR ANAK USIA 4-5 TAHUN

Background: Motor development of preschool age children plays an important role in the health and development of children, and is the basis for good physical activity. This study aims to determine the effect of dance movement therapy intervention and rabbit dance intervention on gross motor development of children aged 4-5 years. Methods: The design used in this study is a quasi experiment with a sample of 34 respondents with purposive sampling technique. This study uses the Denver Developmental Screening Test (DDST) sheet. Result: The results of the univariate test showed that most of the respondents were 5 years old with a percentage of 25 people (73.5%), and the majority of respondents were male with a percentage of 22 people (64.7%).alternative Wilcoxon can be seen that the p value (0.025) &lt; (0.05) in group 1 of the Dance Movement Therapy has an effect on the motor development of children aged 4-5 years. In group 2 with p value (0.002) &lt; (0.05) the rabbit dance intervention affected the gross motor development of children aged 4-5 years. Alternative test results Mann Whitney (0.089) &gt; (0.05) means that there is no significant difference between posttest group 1 and posttest group 2. Conclucion: based on observation result rabbit dance intervention are more effective than using Dance Movement Therapy intervention. The results of this study are expected to improve gross motor development of children aged 4-5 years.

Dance movement therapy processes and interventions in the treatment of children with anxiety disorders derived from therapy logs

Dance movement therapy (DMT) offers children a space to encounter strengths and experience a sense of vitality to increase their sense of confidence and self-awareness, thereby easing their anxiety and/or helping them achieve more adaptive emotion regulation. While previous studies indicate that DMT effectively reduces anxiety symptoms, such as stress, scant research focuses on the nature of the therapeutic interventions and how they assist in treating anxiety. This study is a qualitative assessment that examined DMT techniques and interventions of one therapist’s work through their documentation in therapy logs tracking eight long-term treatments of children aged 8–11 coping with anxiety symptoms. Four intervention axes were identified: (1) action-promoting interventions (2) separation-promoting interventions; (3) interventions for strengthening the sense of self; and (4) integration-promoting interventions. Based on the findings, a therapeutic model is proposed drawing on various “mirroring” interventions as the basis for forming the therapeutic relationship and additional therapeutic interventions involving movement. The model enables the child to explore their experience of the relationship, understand themselves in a new way, and create meaning.

Application of Dance Movement Therapy to Life-Death Education of College Students Under Educational Psychology.

The present work aims to efficiently carry out life-death education (LDE) for college students, improve their psychological problems, and reduce suicide accidents by combining LDE with Dance Movement Therapy (DMT). DMT is a psychosomatic cross therapy that treats mental or physical diseases through dance or improvisation. Firstly, this paper introduces LDE and DMT and designs the activities of DMT intervention. Secondly, the relationship between DMT and LDE is analyzed. Finally, a questionnaire survey is conducted on the research objects. The research objects are divided into the experimental group receiving DMT intervention, the control group participating in sports dance courses, and the benchmark group. The research data show no significant difference in interpersonal skills and emotional psychology among the three groups. The DMT intervention group has substantial changes in other factors except for the conflict control ability before and after the intervention. In addition, the questionnaire survey results after the intervention demonstrate that the DMT intervention group gets a significantly higher score in the interpersonal relationship, interpersonal relationship building ability, moderate rejection ability, self-disclosure ability, and emotional support ability. Therefore, DMT intervention positively impacts college students’ interpersonal relationships. After the sports dance course, there are differences in the total score of interpersonal ties and scores of interpersonal relationships building ability, self-disclosure ability, and emotional support ability in the control group, but with no significant difference in moderate rejection ability and conflict control ability. Therefore, compared with traditional psychotherapy methods, the DMT method reported here is conducive to releasing pressure and alleviating physical and mental anxiety. The research content provides new ideas for psychological education in colleges and universities and contributes to improving college students’ suicidal tendencies and helping college students grow up healthily.

Theoretical basis for dance movement therapy with transgender and nonbinary people

Transgender and nonbinary people, whose gender identity differs from their sex assigned at birth, experience substantial mental health disparities. Guidelines for care of transgender and nonbinary people include psychotherapy to affirm one’s gender, to explore a new gender identity or expression, and to cope with the effects of stigma and resulting psychological distress. Drawing on theory to inform practice, this paper explores the basis for dance movement therapy with transgender and nonbinary people by considering minority stress (coping with stigma and enhancing resilience), gender affirmation (adapting to physical changes and improving body image), and identity development (exploring new movements and integrating sense of self). This paper discusses how dance movement therapy is applicable from each of these three theoretical perspectives and how it may be put into practice to support the mental health and well-being of transgender and nonbinary people. Dance movement therapy interventions for this population should be theory-informed and developed in collaboration with transgender and nonbinary clients as well as transgender and nonbinary dance movement therapists. Recommendations include additional training for dance movement therapists to increase cultural awareness of transgender and nonbinary populations, to explore their understanding of their own gender, and to identify biases and assumptions around gender identity and expression.

A dance movement therapy intervention for people with a personality disorder: A Delphi study

Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) is an established treatment in mental health care for clients with a personality disorder (PD). Literature on DMT and personality disorder shows that self-regulation, interpersonal relationships, and cognition are key objectives to focus on during the clinical application of DMT for PD. To date, no systematic descriptions of DMT interventions for PD are available. A systematic review of the literature concluded that DMT interventions in PD mainly covered body-oriented approaches and cognitive strategies. This study aimed to collect opinions from expert dance movement therapists on applications of a DMT intervention for PD, and more specifically, the use of dance-informed procedures, such as improvisation and choreography. A Delphi approach was used to arrive at a consensus between five participants (DMT experts). From these findings, a systematised intervention description is presented for clinical application of DMT for PD clients that can be implemented and used for efficacy research. The intervention consists of three phases, with a focus on (I) embodied presence and somatic/sensory awareness, (II) dance improvisation and (III) choreography. These foci could enhance (body) self-efficacy beliefs, emotion regulation, the integration of experiences and healthy interpersonal functioning.

Psychological Perceptual Analysis Based on Dance Therapy Using Artificial Intelligence Techniques

Dance is an embodied activity when applied therapeutically, and it can have numerous specific and unspecific health assistances. Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) is a psychotherapeutic process used for the individual’s emotional, cognitive, and physical integration. To automatically synthesize dance movements according to the music, it needs to solve some computational challenges. This paper proposes the Artificial Intelligence assisted Dance Movement Therapy (AIDMT) to predict an individual’s psychological condition. The complete aim of this paper is to analyze the effects of recreational/general dance and dance movement therapy (DMT) on well-being, anxiety, and depression by a convolution neural network (CNN). The research results support the potential usefulness of DMT as a multi-faceted intervention for enhancing different facets of functioning in adolescence with diminishing cognitive abilities. The absence of advantageous effects for our long-term DMT and exercise intervention effects discover the requirement to preserve persistent activity levels with sufficient duration and intensity. Conclusion — The experimental result suggests that AIDMT achieves the highest classification accuracy of 98.03%.

Dance/Movement Therapy as an Intervention in Breast Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review.

Aim In this paper, we systematically review the evidence looking at the effect of dance/movement therapy (DMT) and mental health outcomes and quality of life in breast cancer patients. Method The literature search was done with the databases PubMed (MEDLINE), EBSCO, and Cochrane Central by using the following search words: “dancing/dance/movement therapy,” “breast cancer/neoplasms/carcinoma/tumour” or “mammary cancer,” “mental health,” and “quality of life.” Ninety-four articles were found. Only empirical interventional studies (N = 6) were selected for the review: randomised controlled trials (RCT) (n = 5) and non-RCT (n = 1). PRISMA guidelines were used. Results Data from 6 studies including 385 participants who had been diagnosed with breast cancer, were of an average age of 55.7 years, and had participated in DMT programmes for 3–24 weeks were analysed. In each study, the main outcomes that were measured were quality of life, physical activity, stress, and emotional and social well-being. Different questionnaires were used for the evaluation of outcomes. The mental health of the participants who received DMT intervention improved: they reported a better quality of life and decreased stress, symptoms, and fatigue. Conclusion We found only six studies for review, and some had a small number of participants. However, our findings indicate that DMT could be successfully used as a complimentary therapy in addition to standard cancer treatment for improving the quality of life and mental health of women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. More research is needed to evaluate the complexity of the impact of complimentary therapies. It is possible that DMT could be more effective if used with other therapies.