Online structured dance/movement therapy reduces bodily detachment in depersonalization-derealization disorder.
L S Merritt Millman, Elaine C M Hunter, Devin B. Terhune, Guido Orgs
Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice May 2023 DOI: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2023.101749 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-over experimental study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 60 |
| Population | 31 individuals with depersonalization-derealization disorder and 29 healthy controls |
| Measures | Cambridge Depersonalization Scale, Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness - II, Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, Body Vigilance Scale |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Dance/movement therapy Depersonalization-derealization disorder Dissociative disorders Interoception Psychotherapy |
| Key findings | Both online dance tasks reduced depersonalization-derealization symptoms in the DDD group, with dance exercise perceived as easier. Dance exercise increased mindfulness more than the body-awareness task in the DDD group, whereas controls showed the reverse pattern. In the DDD group, lower symptom levels were associated with task-specific elevations in interoceptive awareness and mindfulness. |
Abstract
Depersonalization-derealization disorder (DDD) is a dissociative disorder encompassing pronounced disconnections from the self and from external reality. As DDD is inherently tied to a detachment from the body, dance/movement therapy could provide an innovative treatment approach. We developed two online dance tasks to reduce detachment either by training body awareness (BA task) or enhancing the salience of bodily signals through dance exercise (DE task). Individuals with DDD (n = 31) and healthy controls (n = 29) performed both tasks individually in a cross-over design. We assessed symptom severity (Cambridge Depersonalization Scale), interoceptive awareness (Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness - II), mindfulness (Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire), and body vigilance (Body Vigilance Scale) before, during and after the tasks. At baseline, individuals with DDD exhibited elevated depersonalization-derealization symptoms alongside lower levels of interoceptive awareness and mindfulness compared to controls. Both tasks reduced symptoms in the DDD group, though dance exercise was perceived as easier. The DE task increased mindfulness in those with DDD more than the BA task, whereas controls showed the opposite pattern. In the DDD group, within-subject correlations showed that lower levels of symptoms were associated with task-specific elevations in interoceptive awareness and mindfulness. Individual and structured dance/movement practice, performed at home without an instructor present, offers an effective tool to reduce symptoms in DDD and can be tailored to address specific cognitive components of a mindful engagement with the body.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Healthy employees in a work environment | 2003 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 41 |
| Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2000 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 145 |
| Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Working adults | 2008 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 139 |
| Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Undergraduate Chinese students | 2007 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 40 |
| Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2004 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 73 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 5
- Survival, Attachment, and Healing: An Evolutionary Lens on Interventions for Trauma-Related Dissociation Psychology Research and Behavior Management June 1, 2024
- Feelings of Reality: Toward a Phenomenology of Experiential Realness Review of General Psychology July 23, 2026
- It Is Movement All the Way Down: Broken Rhythms and Embodied Selfhood in Depersonalization. Behavioral Sciences August 12, 2025
- Explicit and Implicit Sense of Agency in Depersonalization Experiences
- Self-portrait of a Stranger: Self-face Representation and Interoception in Depersonalization Experiences
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