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.
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 is an embodied activity and, when applied therapeutically, can have several specific and unspecific health benefits. In this meta-analysis, we evaluated the effectiveness of dance movement ...therapy(DMT) and dance interventions for psychological health outcomes. Research in this area grew considerably from 1.3 detected studies/year in 1996-2012 to 6.8 detected studies/year in 2012-2018.
We synthesized 41 controlled intervention studies (
= 2,374; from 01/2012 to 03/2018), 21 from DMT, and 20 from dance, investigating the outcome clusters of quality of life, clinical outcomes (with sub-analyses of depression and anxiety), interpersonal skills, cognitive skills, and (psycho-)motor skills. We included recent randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in areas such as depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, autism, elderly patients, oncology, neurology, chronic heart failure, and cardiovascular disease, including follow-up data in eight studies.
Analyses yielded a medium overall effect (
= 0.60), with high heterogeneity of results (
= 72.62%). Sorted by outcome clusters, the effects were medium to large (
= 0.53 to
= 0.85). All effects, except the one for (psycho-)motor skills, showed high inconsistency of results. Sensitivity analyses revealed that
(DMT or dance) was a significant moderator of results. In the
, the overall medium effect was small, significant, and homogeneous/consistent (
= 0.30,
< 0.001,
= 3.47). In the
, the overall medium effect was large, significant, yet heterogeneous/non-consistent (
= 0.81,
< 0.001,
= 77.96). Results suggest that DMT decreases depression and anxiety and increases quality of life and interpersonal and cognitive skills, whereas dance interventions increase (psycho-)motor skills. Larger effect sizes resulted from observational measures, possibly indicating bias. Follow-up data showed that on 22 weeks after the intervention, most effects remained stable or slightly increased.
Consistent effects of DMT coincide with findings from former meta-analyses. Most dance intervention studies came from preventive contexts and most DMT studies came from institutional healthcare contexts with more severely impaired clinical patients, where we found smaller effects, yet with higher clinical relevance. Methodological shortcomings of many included studies and heterogeneity of outcome measures limit results. Initial findings on long-term effects are promising.
People experiencing acute symptomatology associated with schizophrenia require interventions that support stabilization. Dance/movement therapy (DMT) can be a promising treatment option for this ...population due to the potential for verbal communication difficulties, alternative reality bases, and movement dysfunctions associated with schizophrenia. However, due to the improvisational nature of DMT, it is often difficult to identify the specific interventions or components of the therapeutic process that may support stabilization and symptom reduction. Moreover, as inpatient lengths of stay decrease, it is imperative that we implement shorter treatment protocols. This inquiry analyzed 14 single-session DMT group sessions for people with acute schizophrenia on an inpatient psychiatric unit to determine the components of the DMT process common amongst each session. Data analysis of therapist field notes informed the development of a single-session DMT treatment protocol to outline the four phases of a single-session DMT group: warm-up, thematic development, cool down, and verbal discussion. Results of this inquiry determined that there were repeated components of the 14 sessions. A systematic content analysis of the therapy process is potentially useful for the examination of what may specifically contribute to symptom reduction in DMT groups.
Abstract
Background
Dance/movement therapy (DMT) interventions have been used to support people with schizophrenia; however, these typically include lengthier interventions. Current inpatient ...hospitalization lengths of stay do not offer the time needed to implement such interventions. The current treatment protocol for people in acute phases of schizophrenia is psychopharmacological; however, high rates of medication nonadherence and limited effects on negative symptomatology suggest the need for complementary psychosocial treatment options. The purpose of this study was to determine: feasibility of protocol completion, feasibility of measurement sensitivity, and the effects of a single-session DMT intervention compared to a single-session verbal treatment as usual (TAU) intervention.
Methods
This mixed methods feasibility study utilized a convergent mixed methods feasibility design. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected simultaneously in a single phase from the experimental and control groups. In this study, the quantitative strand was prioritized and constituted most of the data collection. A qualitative strand was added to enhance the understanding of participants’ experiences of the intervention and control conditions.
Thirty-two participants were randomized to a 45-minute DMT session or a 45-minute verbal TAU session. Quantitative data were collected using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, and qualitative data through semi-structured interviews.
Results
indicated that participants in the DMT intervention group had statistically significant symptom reduction versus those in the TAU group in overall BPRS scores (p < 0.001), Psychological Discomfort (p < 0.001), Negative Symptoms (p = 0.007), and Positive Symptoms (p = 0.003). No statistical significance was shown for Resistance. Qualitative findings substantiate the quantitative findings, however, show divergence regarding Resistance. Participants in the DMT group expressed feeling more in control, less angry, and motivated for continued treatment.
Discussion
These findings suggest that a single-session DMT intervention can alleviate symptoms associated with acute schizophrenia including affective regulation, and positive and negative symptomatology such as isolation, spontaneity, interpersonal skills, paranoia, and auditory hallucinations. Psychosocial interventions may be used in tandem with psychopharmacological interventions to support increased stabilization for patients experiencing acute phases of schizophrenia.
A cancer diagnosis can be extremely stressful and life-altering for patients. Chronically high levels of stress can increase inflammation and affect the progression of the cancer. Psychosocial ...interventions could reduce stress and address cancer patients’ emotional, psychological, and spiritual needs. This mixed-methods pilot study compared 2 single-session arts-based approaches for patients in active radiation treatment in a large urban hospital. Participants were assigned to either the active control of independent coloring or the therapeutic intervention of open studio art therapy. Participants completed pre-session and post-session saliva samples and standardized psychosocial measures of stress, affect, anxiety, self-efficacy, and creative agency. Both conditions significantly increased participants’ positive affect, self-efficacy, and creative agency, and decreased negative affect, perceived stress, and anxiety. No changes of note were seen in the salivary measures. Participants’ narrative responses corroborated the quantitative findings and highlighted additional benefits such as supporting meaning-making and spiritual insights. Both arts-based interventions can support the emotional, psychological, and spiritual needs of cancer patients while each has features that may be more suited to the needs of certain patients. Further replication of these findings could support our initial findings that suggest that patients could benefit from having art studio spaces with art therapists and choices of art materials available on the oncology unit.
Die Wichtigkeit aktueller Trends in Technologie, Digitalisierung und Massenmedien für die globale Kultur führt zu Fragen nach der Verantwortlichkeit und Ethik forscherischer Entscheidungen in den ...Sozial- und Gesundheitswissenschaften. Eingebettet in die jeweils dominanten Paradigmen affizieren diese Trends subtil unsere Weltsicht, unsere Werte und den Charakter sozio-politischer Diskurse. In diesen kritischen post-normalen Zeiten (SARDAR 2009) werden radikale Imagination (HAIVEN & KHASNABISH 2014) und epistemischer Aktivismus, verbunden mit nicht-dominanten Weisen der Wissensproduktion, zu einer Notwendigkeit. Kunstbasierte Forschung (KBF) beinhaltet onto-epistemologische Perspektiven und Methodologien, die erforderlich sind, um die gegenwärtigen unilateralen und hegemonialen Paradigmen herauszufordern und zu stören, die den überkommenen gesellschaftlichen und geo-politischen Konstrukten unterliegen. In diesem Beitrag vertreten wir die Etablierung eines globalen Netzwerks von KBF-Wissenschaftler*innen und Stakeholdern und die Nutzung einer radikal-imaginativen Philosophie und von kunstbasierten Verfahren als Ausgangspunkte für sozialen Aktivismus und einen epistemologischen Wechsel.
This year, the Marian Chace Foundation faced an an unexpected turn of events. This created a shift in programming that called for quick creative thinking and flexibility in long held traditions. In ...lieu of a traditional lecturer, the 2021 Marian Chace Foundation Lecture began with a film screening of
Dance Therapy: The Power of Movement
and culminated with a professional panel including some of the women involved with the 1982 film. The panel moderator guided inquiries around the conception and creation of the film, the clinical processes, and general knowledge of the practice of dance movement therapy. Transcripts of the panel discussion highlight the rich dialogue between those women who were paving the way for dance movement therapy to be a respected career in the United States of America and provided a glimpse, through both the film and the panel, of the remarkable, therapeutic work they were providing decades ago. The 2021 Marian Chace Foundation film screening and professional panel can be viewed at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8L7jMlngmLA
.
Abstract
Background
Dance/Movement Therapy (DMT) is a language that transcends the verbal realm. This facet of communicating through dance and movement is significant particularly when the population ...you are working with often communicates in ways that are creative, unique, and not necessarily conventional. This is often the case when working with people who have been diagnosed on the schizophrenia spectrum. Although they fall under the same diagnosis, positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia are embodied in quite different ways; as their names indicate, positive and negative symptoms are dichotomous and fall on opposite ends of a movement spectrum.
Methods
We will explore the many bodily manifestations of schizophrenia and DMT approaches to best support the specific needs associated with this complex diagnosis. The co-facilitators have each engaged in their own clinical practice and research exploring how DMT interventions can best serve the population in grounding, thought and behavioral organization, ego strengthening, and development of interpersonal relationships. As one can imagine, having a diagnosis of schizophrenia can be isolating and interrupt healthy relationship development due to stigmatization. The co-facilitators have found DMT to be a humanizing factor in this often dehumanized population. The use of creativity with people with schizophrenia allows the psychotherapeutic relationship to focus on personal strengths, individuality, and unconditional acceptance.
Results
Dance/movement therapists assess patient functioning through non-verbal indicators in everyday behavior, postural and gestural patterns, and qualitative elements that emerge during therapeutic interactions. Oftentimes, their experiences with positive symptomatology affect their ability to relate in a shared reality base with others not experiencing these positive symptoms. Single-session DMT interventions have supported a decrease in psychological distress, and positive and negative symptomatology for people with schizophrenia in an inpatient psychiatric facility (Biondo, 2019).
Within a group DMT approach to treatment, dance/movement therapist considers movement and body-based experiences, as natural and effective sources of self-awareness and expression, which can illuminate the interrelationships between the many dimensions of human behavior (Bryl, 2018). This approach integrates movement techniques, creative embodiment, the non-verbal aspects of self-awareness and interpersonal communication and targets core specific features of chronic schizophrenia and negative symptomatology. As such it provides links to outcomes directly related to affective, cognitive, behavioral, and functional processes in the treatment for schizophrenia in residual stages (Bryl, 2018).
Discussion
Schizophrenia can manifest through many different representations: with positive and/or negative symptoms, and with acute episodes or chronicity. The diagnosis will interrupt healthy ego strength, the ability to relate with others, and the ability to function without supports. Dance/movement therapy is a wonderful approach to working with this population in its many forms, as it addresses the psychological, cognitive, social, and functional levels of participants. Although positive and negative symptoms often manifest quite differently on a movement level, DMT has the ability to support the many needs of those diagnosed with schizophrenia. The many limitations of psychopharmacological interventions for people with schizophrenia are evidence that inclusive, strengths-based, and body-informed therapy options would greatly benefit this population.
Creativity, at times, flows freely amongst individuals. However, at other times, creativity waivers on the edge of meaning and nothingness. This manuscript explores Eastern and Western philosophies ...associated with void, the thin line between dialectical phenomena, and a space which opens up for creativity. These theories of creativity will be observed through a dance/movement therapy (DMT) paradigm examining the concept of stillness within movement and particularly within a DMT session. A brief review of the following phenomena will be considered: the fertile void, the dialectical edge, and potential space. Consideration will be given to the notion of stillness as a tool for creativity in DMT and supported by case vignettes.
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