J Korean Neuropsychiatr Assoc.  2008 May;47(3):279-285.

Clinical Application of Dance Therapy in Psychiatric Outpatients with Schizophrenia

• Lee J
• Park S
• Kim HS
• Kim CY

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
Dance therapy can be applied as one of various psychiatric rehabilitation programs in clinical situations. This study was aimed to investigate applicability of dance therapy to schizophrenic outpatients, in regard to improving social adjustment and quality of life for these patients.
METHODS
Twenty one psychiatric outpatients enlist who met DSM-IV criteria for schizophrenia were studied. We conducted dance therapy session once a week, totally 8 sessions. The assessments were done before and after dance therapy. Patients reported Self & Others Representation Inventory-Adjective Checklist (SORI), Self-esteem Scale, and Relationship Change Scale (RCS) and Doctors assessed Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS), and Quality of Life Scale (QoLS) in interview.
RESULTS
After 8 sessions of dance therapy, patients showed significant improvements in sociability in SORI, satisfaction, intimacy, sensitiveness, openness, comprehensiveness in RCS, and significant decrease of symptoms in BPRS, SANS. QoLS also was improved significantly. There was no significant change in Self-esteem Scale.
CONCLUSION
These results suggested that dance therapy could be applied to schizophrenic outpatients in clinical situations, and it helped to improve self-representation, interpersonal relationship, and quality of life.

Keyword

Schizophrenia; Dance therapy; Self-representation; Self-esteem; Interpersonal relationship; Quality of life

MeSH Terms

Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale
Checklist
Dance Therapy
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
Humans
Outpatients
Quality of Life
Schizophrenia
Social Adjustment