Dance therapy as an intervention for stress and depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Currently, no systematic review exists on dance therapy studies for treatment resistant depression. We conducted this systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the effects of dance therapy on the primary symptom clusters of treatment resistant depression, that is, co-morbid stress and depression PROSPERO(CRD42022309685), and identify common dance therapy practices in this population. We searched six databases between January 2001 and March 2024 using the primary key terms: 'dance therapy', 'stress', 'depression', 'study', 'treatment resistance', and 'adults'. Reference list checks and citation tracking were conducted. The Downs and Black checklist was used to assess risk of bias. Our search yielded 68 records. Five articles were included (N = 613, 91.2% female), and dosage varied between 15 and 24 h over 3-12 weeks. Results indicated an increase in management strategies rather than symptom reduction. Meta-analyses revealed no statistically significant results for stress and depression. Common dance therapy practices were improvisation, shared rhythm, and structured movement.