SynthesisFrontiers in psychiatry2026
Dance/movement therapy in psychotic disorders and eating disorders: a systematic review.
Synthesis in Frontiers in psychiatry, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
11 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Dance/Movement Therapy (DMT) is a body-oriented form of creative arts therapy that uses movement and embodied awareness to support emotional regulation and psychosocial functioning. Interest in embodied and non-verbal interventions has increased in psychiatry, particularly for disorders characterized by disturbances in bodily experience and affect regulation, such as psychotic disorders and eating disorders (EDs). However, evidence on DMT remains fragmented and is often embedded within broader research on creative arts therapies. Objectives: This systematic review aimed to synthesize and critically evaluate the available evidence on DMT as an adjunctive intervention in psychiatric populations, with particular focus on psychotic disorders and EDs. Methods: A systematic search of PubMed/MEDLINE was conducted for studies published in English between January 2016 and December 2025. Eligible studies included randomized controlled trials, non-randomized or quasi-experimental studies, observational designs, and qualitative or mixed methods investigations involving adolescents or adults with psychotic disorders or EDs receiving DMT-based interventions. Risk of bias was assessed using RoB 2 and ROBINS-I tools. Due to methodological heterogeneity, findings were synthesized narratively. Results: Twelve studies met inclusion criteria. Across diagnostic groups, DMT was most consistently associated with improvements in embodied and psychosocial domains, including bodily awareness, emotional expression, and social functioning. In psychotic disorders, DMT was linked to improvements in negative symptoms, social engagement, and physical functioning when integrated into treatment as usual. Evidence in ED populations was more limited but suggested potential benefits for body image, emotional regulation, alexithymia, and subjective well-being. Qualitative findings highlighted increased emotional awareness, sense of agency, and relational attunement. Substantial heterogeneity in study design, intervention characteristics, and outcome measures limited causal inference. Conclusions: Current evidence suggests that DMT may represent a promising adjunctive intervention in psychiatric care, particularly for addressing embodied and relational dimensions of psychopathology. However, conclusions regarding efficacy remain tentative due to methodological limitations and variable study quality. Future research should prioritize well-designed controlled trials, standardized reporting of DMT protocols, and outcome measures sensitive to embodied change, with greater attention to underrepresented populations such as individuals with EDs. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier CRD420261279779.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.