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Dance therapy is thought to improve mental and physical health by activating psychological and physiological processes such as motor coordination, and expression of emotions.
Some currently used mind—body interventions for posttraumatic symptoms address both mental and physical health. Although some studies have evaluated the efficacy of dance therapy for posttraumatic symptoms, a systematic review of extant research has not been conducted. To identify the effects of dance therapy in adults with psychological trauma as well as the barriers and facilitators associated with its therapeutic use. Articles published between and March have been selected with the help of six relevant keyword combinations applied on seven databases.
Two reviewers independently screened titles and abstracts against inclusion and exclusion criteria. A report of the results has been organized with the help of a thematic analysis. Of the 15 articles included, only one case study directly reports a diminution of pathognomonic symptoms of trauma. Other studies present improvements in the key aspects of trauma therapy: bodily sensations and perceptions, psychological processes, and interpersonal skills.
However, the reviewed studies lacked uniformity in assessments of adherence and its effect on therapeutic outcomes. Dance therapy may be a useful technique for improving both psychological and physiological symptoms associated with trauma exposure, such as avoidance and dissociative phenomena. To complement the results of this qualitative systematic review, further quantitative and qualitative research on the impact of dance therapy interventions as a trauma treatment should be conducted.
