What are the effects of free dance and dance therapy on self-esteem, anxiety, body image and depressive symptoms of women undergoing breast cancer surgery? A randomized clinical trial.

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the effect of two 12-week interventions with free dance and dance therapy compared to the control group on self-esteem, body image anxiety and depressive symptoms in women undergoing breast cancer surgery.

METHODS

Randomized clinical trial, with two different interventions (free dance and dance therapy) carried out at different periods, consisting of 23 female breast cancer survivors (58.7 ± 9.9 years), divided into two groups, the intervention group (IG - n = 11) who received different interventions at different times and the control group (CG -n = 12) who maintained their routine activities. The interventions lasted 12 weeks, with 60-min sessions, held twice a week and with a washout period of 35 days between them. The outcomes assessed were self-esteem (Self-Esteem Scale), anxiety (Beck Anxiety Inventory), body image (Body Image after Breast Cancer), and depressive symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory).

RESULTS

There was an improvement within the free dance group in depressive symptoms (p = 0.013) and within the dance therapy group in anxiety (p ≤ 0.001). Difference between the free dance group in the variable depressive symptoms (p ≤ 0.001) and difference between the dance therapy group in anxiety (p ≤ 0.001). In body image, the limitations domain showed an intragroup difference (p = 0.039) due to a worsening post-intervention in the CG compared to the dance therapy group.

CONCLUSION

Women survivors of breast cancer showed improvement in anxiety and depressive symptoms after performing 12 weeks of free dance and dance therapy.

REGISTRATION

Clinical registry: Brazilian Clinical Trials Registry (ReBEC) (nº 0RBR-772ktp).