Dance/movement therapy as a holistic approach to diminish health discrepancies and promote wellness for people with schizophrenia: a review of the literature [version 2; peer review: 2 approved]

Individuals with a diagnosis of schizophrenia face a myriad of obstacles to wellness, beginning with diagnostic discrepancies including over- and misdiagnoses on the schizophrenia spectrum. People with schizophrenia experience profound amounts of stigmatization from the general population, their healthcare providers, and even themselves. Such stigmatization creates a barrier for wellness, poorer prognoses, and often limits adherence to physical and mental healthcare. Moreover, it can exacerbate the already stifling symptomatology of their diagnoses, including specific bodily-related symptomatology. Oftentimes, a diagnosis of schizophrenia disrupts one’s relationship with their body including a diminished mind-body connection, decreased interoceptive awareness, and thus unsuccessful intra- and interpersonal relationships. Some recent research suggests the use of mind-body therapies, however, if these practices are internalizing, they may not be appropriate for people with schizophrenia experiencing more acute symptomatology excluding them from treatment. Dance/movement therapy (DMT) is an embodied psychotherapeutic treatment option that can support participants in improving mind-body connection, social relationships, and self-regulatory skill development. Research on DMT has shown promising results for people with schizophrenia, however such research is limited and would benefit from increased studies that particularly measure the effects of DMT on mind-body connection and increased interoception for people with schizophrenia. Moreover, integrative and collaborative treatment models that couple DMT and biofeedback may further our understanding of the physiological and neurological effects of DMT interventions for people with schizophrenia and beyond. This review will examine the recent literature on health inequities for people with schizophrenia, their specific body-based disruptions and needs, and DMT as a promising treatment model, particularly when coupled with biofeedback

Dance/Movement Therapy as a Holistic Approach to Diminish Health Discrepancies and Promote Wellness for People With Schizophrenia: A Review of the Literature

Individuals with a diagnosis of schizophrenia face a myriad of obstacles to wellness, beginning with diagnostic discrepancies including over- and misdiagnoses on the schizophrenia spectrum. People with schizophrenia experience profound amounts of stigmatization from the general population, their healthcare providers, and even themselves. Such stigmatization creates a barrier for wellness, poorer prognoses, and often limits adherence to physical and mental healthcare. Moreover, it can exacerbate the already stifling symptomatology of their diagnoses, including specific bodily-related symptomatology. Oftentimes, a diagnosis of schizophrenia disrupts one\u27s relationship with their body including a diminished mind-body connection, decreased interoceptive awareness, and thus unsuccessful intra- and interpersonal relationships. Some recent research suggests the use of mind-body therapies, however, if these practices are internalizing, they may not be appropriate for people with schizophrenia experiencing more acute symptomatology excluding them from treatment. Dance/movement therapy (DMT) is an embodied psychotherapeutic treatment option that can support participants in improving mind-body connection, social relationships, and self-regulatory skill development. Research on DMT has shown promising results for people with schizophrenia, however such research is limited and would benefit from increased studies that particularly measure the effects of DMT on mind-body connection and increased interoception for people with schizophrenia. Moreover, integrative and collaborative treatment models that couple DMT and biofeedback may further our understanding of the physiological and neurological effects of DMT interventions for people with schizophrenia and beyond. This review will examine the recent literature on health inequities for people with schizophrenia, their specific body-based disruptions and needs, and DMT as a promising treatment model, particularly when coupled with biofeedback

Arts-Based Research in the Social and Health Sciences: Pushing for Change with an Interdisciplinary Global Arts-Based Research Initiative

The impact of current trends in technology, digitalization and mass media on our global culture raises questions regarding the responsibility and ethics of research decisions in contemporary social and health sciences. Embedded in the dominant paradigms, these trends subtly affect our worldviews, our valuation of the human condition, and the nature of socio-political discourse. In such critical post normal times (SARDAR, 2009) radical imagination (HAIVEN & KHASNABISH, 2014) and epistemic activism, embracing non-dominant modes of knowledge production in the social and health sciences, becomes a necessity. Arts-based research (ABR) is resonant with the onto-epistemological perspectives and methodologies necessary to challenge and disrupt current unilateral and hegemonic paradigms underlying decaying societal and geo-political constructs. In this article, we advocate for the development of a global network of ABR scholars and stakeholders invoking a radical imaginative philosophy and arts-based research methodologies as an approach to social activism and epistemological change.Die Wichtigkeit aktueller Trends in Technologie, Digitalisierung und Massenmedien für die globale Kultur führt zu Fragen nach der Verantwortlichkeit und Ethik forscherischer Entscheidungen in den Sozial- und Gesundheitswissenschaften. Eingebettet in die jeweils dominanten Paradigmen affizieren diese Trends subtil unsere Weltsicht, unsere Werte und den Charakter sozio-politischer Diskurse. In diesen kritischen post-normalen Zeiten (SARDAR 2009) werden radikale Imagination (HAIVEN & KHASNABISH 2014) und epistemischer Aktivismus, verbunden mit nicht-dominanten Weisen der Wissensproduktion, zu einer Notwendigkeit. Kunstbasierte Forschung (KBF) beinhaltet onto-epistemologische Perspektiven und Methodologien, die erforderlich sind, um die gegenwärtigen unilateralen und hegemonialen Paradigmen herauszufordern und zu stören, die den überkommenen gesellschaftlichen und geo-politischen Konstrukten unterliegen. In diesem Beitrag vertreten wir die Etablierung eines globalen Netzwerks von KBF-Wissenschaftler*innen und Stakeholdern und die Nutzung einer radikal-imaginativen Philosophie und von kunstbasierten Verfahren als Ausgangspunkte für sozialen Aktivismus und einen epistemologischen Wechsel

“No Tears or Brain Words”: A Case Report on Single-Session Dance/Movement Therapy for Individuals with Schizophrenia

Individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia face a multitude of challenges in their lifetime including complex symptomatology, co-morbid health concerns, profound levels of stigmatization, diminished access to quality care, and an overall lack of healthcare equity. Systemically racist provisions and social determinants of health further stigmatize these individuals, calling for action against such human rights violations. Globally, over 21 million people are diagnosed with schizophrenia, many of whom are experiencing healthcare disparities posing a significant public health concern. Dance/movement therapy (DMT) is an equitable healthcare provision situated in a strengths-based and trauma-informed psychotherapeutic framework. Dance/movement can support the symptomatic needs of schizophrenia including alternate reality orientations, thought and behavioral disorganization, and diminished interpersonal engagement. This intrinsic case report examines the experience of a 37-year-old African American cisgender male who engaged in a single-session DMT intervention. This report explores an under-researched phenomenon of the lived experience of a DMT intervention for an individual with high symptom acuity. Following the intervention, the participant exhibited a decrease in symptomatology as evidenced by the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale in total scores as well as subscales of psychological distress, positive symptoms, negative symptoms, and resistance. Moreover, he expressed having a transformative experience in the single-session DMT intervention, feeling like a contributing member of the group process, exhibiting a sense of pride, experiencing the ability to engage in healthy relationships, and noting shared and meaningful experiences in his group process. Future research should include DMT as an inclusive and equitable treatment option to support individuals with schizophrenia

Dance/Movement Therapy as a Treatment Option for Individuals with Schizophrenia

Agenda Inspiration for my research What is Dance/Movement Therapy Significance of Embodied Psychosocial Interventions Single-session Research Current Research Questions and Discussio

Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung

The impact of current trends in technology, digitalization and mass media on our global culture raises questions regarding the responsibility and ethics of research decisions in contemporary social and health sciences. Embedded in the dominant paradigms, these trends subtly affect our worldviews, our valuation of the human condition, and the nature of socio-political discourse. In such critical post normal times (SARDAR, 2009) radical imagination (HAIVEN & KHASNABISH, 2014) and epistemic activism, embracing non-dominant modes of knowledge production in the social and health sciences, becomes a necessity. Arts-based research (ABR) is resonant with the onto-epistemological perspectives and methodologies necessary to challenge and disrupt current unilateral and hegemonic paradigms underlying decaying societal and geopolitical constructs. In this article, we advocate for the development of a global network of ABR scholars and stakeholders invoking a radical imaginative philosophy and arts-based research methodologies as an approach to social activism and epistemological change