The efficacy of dance movement therapy group on improvement of quality of life: A randomized controlled trial

This study examines the treatment outcome of a ten weeks dance movement therapy intervention on quality of life (QOL). The multicentred study used a subject-design with pre-test, post-test, and six months follow-up test. 162 participants who suffered from stress were randomly assigned to the dance movement therapy treatment group (TG) (n = 97) and the wait-listed control group (WG) (65). The World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire 100 (WHOQOL-100) and Munich Life Dimension List were used in both groups at all three measurement points. Repeated measures ANOVA revealed that dance movement therapy participants in all QOL dimensions always more than the WG. In the short term, they significantly improved in the Psychological domain (p > .001, WHOQOL; p > .01, Munich Life Dimension List), Social relations/life (p > .10, WHOQOL; p > .10, Munich Life Dimension List), Global value (p > .05, WHOQOL), Physical health (p > .05, Munich Life Dimension List), and General life (p > .10, Munich Life Dimension List). In the long term, dance movement therapy significantly enhanced the psychological domain (p > .05, WHOQOL; p > .05, Munich Life Dimension List), Spirituality (p > .10, WHOQOL), and General life (p > .05, Munich Life Dimension List). Dance movement therapy is effective in the short- and long-term to improve QOL. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.