KORN KURATED RESEARCH

Dance Your Way to Mental Health

Engaging in physical activities such as dance contributes to better psychological and cognitive well-being. Whether performed alone, with a partner, or in a group setting, dance stimulates cognitive processes, fosters social connections, and enhances mental health. Consider adding dance and authentic movement for mental health as part of mind-body integrative medicine groups.

Visit my library: Research in Integrative Medicine and Nutrition for Mental Health

I was invited to Cuba in 2017 as part of a small group of mental health clinicians to teach at the Ministry of Health on integrative medicine. Our professional colleagues at the ministry and at all our site visits welcomed us with generosity and a palpable warmth of spirit. In the evenings, I loved being immersed in Afro-Cuban music and dance.

My cherished experience, however, was visiting a hospital where severely ill patients received treatment with dance therapy. This was no ordinary therapy! As we entered a large room, we were invited to join patients, psychiatrists, nurses, orderlies, and therapists in a circle, hold hands, and dance together. We learned about each other through dance. I laughed as I thought, never would a psychiatrist dance with their patient in the United States! 

This was an obvious missing link in our model of treatment. It was a joyous experience that, in addition to the exercise, hand-holding, and communal effect, also eliminated the traditional hierarchy of care, which often seems to miss the heart-to-heart connection of one human helping another in modern-day pharma psychiatry.  

New research confirms what we know intuitively and what I witnessed and felt that day in Cuba. Dance heals; a structured dance program of at least six weeks can significantly improve psychological and cognitive health outcomes equivalent to other structured exercise interventions. So, when you plan your next integrative mental health group for clients, include some dance before the yoga session, and when a client demurs at your suggestion that they go for a walk every day to brighten their mood, put some Chucho Valdés on the speakers and get up with them and show them how to shimmy and shake for their well-being.

Tags: Dance therapy, exercise, memory, psychological health

Interested in Learning More?

• Course(s): PTSD, Complex Trauma, and Traumatic Brain Injury
• Book(s): Rhythms of Recovery

Referenced Research Publication

Sports Medicine
2024, January 25
DOI: 10.1007/s40279-023-01990-2

The Effectiveness of Dance Interventions on Psychological and Cognitive Health Outcomes Compared with Other Forms of Physical Activity: A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis

link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38270792/#:~

Abstract

Background: Physical activity is known to improve psychological and cognitive outcomes. Learning dance sequences may challenge cognition, partnered or group dance may benefit social interactions, and the artistic aspect may improve psychological wellbeing. Dance is an equally effective form of physical activity compared with other structured physical activities to improve physical health, but it is unclear how effective dance could be for psychological and cognitive outcome measures.

Objective: To systematically review the literature on the effectiveness of structured dance interventions, compared with structured exercise programmes, on psychological and cognitive outcomes across the lifespan.

Methods: Eight databases were searched from earliest records to July 2022. Studies investigating a dance intervention lasting ≥ 4 weeks, including psychological and/or cognitive health outcomes, and having a structured exercise comparison group were included. Screening and data extraction were performed by two independent reviewers at all stages. All reviewer disagreements were resolved by the primary author. Where appropriate, meta-analysis was performed, or an effect size estimate generated.

Results: Of 21,737 records identified, 27 studies met the inclusion criteria. Total sample size of included studies was 1392 (944 females, 418 males, 30 unreported). Dance was equally as effective as other physical activity interventions in improving quality of life for people with Parkinson's disease [mean difference 3.09; 95% confidence interval (CI) - 2.13 to 8.30; p = 0.25], reducing anxiety (standardised mean difference 2.26; 95% CI - 2.37 to 6.90; p = 0.34), and improving depressive symptoms (standardised mean difference 0.78; 95% CI - 0.92 to 2.48; p = 0.37). Preliminary evidence found dance to be superior to other physical activity interventions to improve motivation, aspects of memory, and social cognition and to reduce distress. Preliminary evidence found dance to be inferior to other physical activity interventions to improve stress, self-efficacy and language fluency.

Conclusion: Undertaking structured dance of any genre is generally equally and occasionally more effective than other types of structured exercise for improving a range of psychological and cognitive outcomes.

Reference

Fong Yan, A., Nicholson, L. L., Ward, R. E., Hiller, C. E., Dovey, K., Parker, H. M., Low, L. F., Moyle, G., & Chan, C. (2024). The Effectiveness of Dance Interventions on Psychological and Cognitive Health Outcomes Compared with Other Forms of Physical Activity: A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis. Sports Medicine (Auckland, N.Z.)