Dance Movement Therapy in the Treatment of Depressed Patients: A Randomised Controlled Trial
Condition: Depression
MeSH terms: Depression
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      This multi-centre research investigates the effects of dance movement therapy (DMT) on
      participants diagnosed with depression. In total, 109 persons participated in the study in
      various locations in Finland. All participants received treatment as usual (TAU). They were
      randomised into DMT + TAU (n = 52) or TAU-only (n = 57). The participants in the DMT + TAU
      group were offered 20 DMT sessions twice a week for 10 weeks in addition to standard care.
      The measurement points included pre-treatment measurement at the baseline and post-treatment
      measurement at the end of the intervention, which was 10 weeks after the pre-treatment
      measurement. The follow-up measurement was 3 months after the post-treatment measurement. The
      effects of the intervention were assessed with a clinical measure of depression (BDI-I) and
      with indicators of physical and psychological distress (CORE-OM and SCL-90). The participants
      in the treatment group (DMT+TAU) were compared to the participants in the control group who
      received TAU-only.
    

Detailed description: 
      This research investigates the outcomes of dance movement therapy (DMT) groups in the
      treatment of adults with depression. In total, 157 participants were involved. Of them, 109
      were randomized into DMT group (n = 52) or control group (n = 57). The rest of the
      participants participated in non-randomized DMT groups. All participants met the criteria for
      the eligibility for rehabilitation psychotherapy, had depression diagnosed by a doctor, and
      the severity of depression threatened the ability to work/ study. All participants received
      treatment as usual during the research. DMT-intervention was facilitated by a dance movement
      therapist and included 20 x 75 mins sessions within 10 weeks. Depressive symptoms (BDI),
      physical and psychological distress (CORE-OM, SCL-90), ability to work/study, and body image
      were assessed at three measurement points: pre-measurement at the baseline, post-measurement
      10 weeks after the pre-treatment measurement, and a follow-up measurement three months after
      the post-treatment measurement.

      This research includes a larger number of participants (N = 109) than have been involved in
      previous studies utilising randomised controlled trials in research designs. The research
      generates further information about the effectiveness of dance movement therapy groups in the
      rehabilitation of depression as it was conducted in five cities across Finland. This type of
      multi-centre research can provide a realistic picture of the typical practice of a range of
      dance movement therapists working with participants in various geographic locations.
    

Intervention name(s): Dance Movement Therapy group
Intervention type(s): Behavioral
Intervention description(s): DMT-intervention was facilitated by a dance movement therapist and included 20 x 75 mins sessions within 10 weeks.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Treatment
Keywords: Dance Movement Therapy; Adults; Depression; Beck Depression Inventory; Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation - Outcome Measure; The Symptoms Check List-90