gms | German Medical Science

7. Jahrestagung der Wissenschaftlichen Fachgesellschaft für Künstlerische Therapien e. V.

Wissenschaftliche Fachgesellschaft für Künstlerische Therapien e. V. (WFKT)

14.11. - 15.11.2024, Alfter/Bonn

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Therapeutic factors of dance movement therapy from the patient perspective – survey data from eight clinics in Germany

Meeting Abstract

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  • Laura Schwab - School for Therapy Sciences, SRH University Heidelberg, Germany
  • Sophia M. Estel - Research Institute of Creative Arts Therapies (RIArT), Alanus University for Arts and Social Sciences, Alfter, Germany
  • Amanda Freiberg - Research Institute of Creative Arts Therapies (RIArT), Alanus University for Arts and Social Sciences, Alfter, Germany
  • Andrea DuBois - Research Institute of Creative Arts Therapies (RIArT), Alanus University for Arts and Social Sciences, Alfter, Germany
  • Clara Cornaro - Research Institute of Creative Arts Therapies (RIArT), Alanus University for Arts and Social Sciences, Alfter, Germany
  • Sabine C. Koch - School for Therapy Sciences, SRH University Heidelberg, Germany; Research Institute of Creative Arts Therapies (RIArT), Alanus University for Arts and Social Sciences, Alfter, Germany; Faculty of Fine Arts, Creative Arts Therapies Research Unit (CATRU), University of Melbourne, Australia

Wissenschaftliche Fachgesellschaft für Künstlerische Therapien e.V.. 7. Jahrestagung der Wissenschaftlichen Fachgesellschaft für Künstlerische Therapien (WFKT) 2024. Alfter/Bonn, 14.-15.11.2024. Düsseldorf: German Medical Science GMS Publishing House; 2025. Doc24wfkt16

doi: 10.3205/24wfkt16, urn:nbn:de:0183-24wfkt167

Veröffentlicht: 21. März 2025

© 2025 Schwab et al.
Dieser Artikel ist ein Open-Access-Artikel und steht unter den Lizenzbedingungen der Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (Namensnennung). Lizenz-Angaben siehe http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

Gliederung

Text

There is growing evidence from clinical outcome studies that dance movement therapy (DMT) has multiple beneficial effects on health recovery. However, the question of its therapeutic factors remains to be clarified: How does DMT bring about therapeutic change? In a multicenter study with a participatory research approach, we assessed the therapeutic factors of DMT from the perspective of experience experts (patients and therapists) and therapists in eight psychosomatic and psychiatric clinics in Germany. Written input from N=203 patients was analyzed with a thematic network analysis, and perspectives from a transcribed group interview of N=6 of their therapists was added. Results of the patient data suggest three clusters of therapeutic factors, regarding (1) the structure of the therapy sessions (2) the self-exploration of the patients, and (3) the self-management of the patients, with the most frequently coded sub-categories of (a) body awareness, (b) access to emotions, and (c) expression of emotions. DMT was highly accepted and appreciated by the patients as a central therapeutic source of their clinical treatment. Without being asked, more than 10% of the patients stated a request for DMT aftercare. Therapists emphasized the role of active embodiment, and the self-efficacy boosting and action-based transfer-to-practice effects of DMT. Therapeutic factors corresponded considerably with those from theoretical models and empirical findings. Strengths and limitations of the study are discussed.