Dance Movement Therapy Expository Essay
According to the Canadian Mental Health Association (2014), 20% of Canadians will personally experience a mental illness in their lifetime. One of the most common mental illnesses is depression. Depression is characterised by feelings of sadness, loss of interest in pleasurable activities, and withdrawal from friends and family (Public Health Agency of Canada, 2013). Traditionally, people with depression are treated with talk-based therapy and/or medication. In the past decade, another form of therapy has gained recognition and acceptance throughout the medical community: Dance and Movement Therapy (DMT). This paper will explore the effectiveness of DMT, and how it can be a viable therapeutic option for adolescents and seniors alike.
DMT is effective in decreasing the severity of symptoms of depression. DMT assists individuals in dealing with feelings, especially those that are hard to accept or express, through the use of movement (Pinniger et al., 2012). Talking about emotions can be a daunting task for an individual with depression; it may be easier to express these emotions through dance and movement. Studies have shown that participating in DMT can affect the production of serotonin and dopamine, two chemicals that support emotional well-being (Young-Ja et al., 2005). This is significant because those with depression frequently rely on medications to modulate the production of these brain chemicals. If serotonin and dopamine can be controlled using DMT, there will be a lesser need for reliance on antidepressant medication. DMT is useful both to encourage participants to explore their feelings, and to promote the response of neurotransmitters that affect mood.
Adolescents with depression have to deal with the great fluctuation in hormones that accompany puberty, and the debilitating symptoms of depression. A study by Young-Ja et al. examined adolescent girls, with a median age of 16, who showed mild to moderate signs of depression (2005). The group was asked
DMT is effective in decreasing the severity of symptoms of depression. DMT assists individuals in dealing with feelings, especially those that are hard to accept or express, through the use of movement (Pinniger et al., 2012). Talking about emotions can be a daunting task for an individual with depression; it may be easier to express these emotions through dance and movement. Studies have shown that participating in DMT can affect the production of serotonin and dopamine, two chemicals that support emotional well-being (Young-Ja et al., 2005). This is significant because those with depression frequently rely on medications to modulate the production of these brain chemicals. If serotonin and dopamine can be controlled using DMT, there will be a lesser need for reliance on antidepressant medication. DMT is useful both to encourage participants to explore their feelings, and to promote the response of neurotransmitters that affect mood.
Adolescents with depression have to deal with the great fluctuation in hormones that accompany puberty, and the debilitating symptoms of depression. A study by Young-Ja et al. examined adolescent girls, with a median age of 16, who showed mild to moderate signs of depression (2005). The group was asked