Dance/dance movement therapy and general wellbeing, depression, and anxiety : a meta-analysis

The overall aim of this study was to examine the effects of general/recreational dance and dance movement therapy (DMT) on general wellbeing, depression, and anxiety by conducting a meta-analysis on all randomised controlled trials evaluating these outcomes, that have been conducted since Ritter and Low's (1996) meta-analysis, which also investigated the effects of DMT. In addition, this study examined moderation of the effect of general/recreational dance and DMT by age, gender, type of dance (general/recreational vs. DMT), type of country (Eastern vs. Western), and type of therapist (specific vs. general). Results indicated that dance/DMT had small, but significant and positive effects on general wellbeing, depression, and anxiety. The effects for general wellbeing and depression were moderated by type of therapist, but were not moderated by age, gender, type of dance, or type of country. Results are discussed in relation to the quality of the trials included, Ritter and Low's findings, the findings of the moderation analyses, and the implications these findings have for psychologists who may be interested in using dance/DMT as an adjunctive intervention technique.