Dance/Movement Therapy in Cross-Cultural Practice: Fostering Assertiveness with Torture Survivors

The Use of Dance and Movement for the Embodied Healing of Interpersonal Trauma in Women and Girls: A Systematic Review

Interpersonal trauma is a pervasive issue with devastating consequences for women and girls of diverse identities. Research has shown that there are many potential physiological consequences for experiencing trauma, and as such, treatment for trauma should incorporate the body. Dance/Movement Therapy (DMT) has been emerging in the current literature as one body-oriented treatment approach effective in helping women and girls heal from interpersonal trauma. This review uses textual narrative evidence synthesis to examine how practitioners are currently using DMT for this population, what treatment outcomes have been observed, and what the racial/ethnic identities and international contexts are for survivors who have benefited from DMT. Inclusion criteria for the present review included peer-reviewed studies published in English between the years 2000 to 2022, reporting data on the use of dance or movement to help women and/or adolescent girls aged 12 and older heal from interpersonal trauma. Studies were identified through electronic databases, and 16 total studies met criteria. This review found that the characteristics and structure of DMT vary greatly between different practitioners, the participants of DMT are very diverse, and there are many commonly observed outcomes such as increased physical ability, increased emotional capacity, mind-body integration, safety, aid with trauma processing, empowerment, social support, and fun. This review also gives recommendations for practitioners who wish to utilize dance and movement in treatment: offer group interventions; use the body to create metaphor, imagery, and symbolism; give survivors choices in how they participate; use music purposefully; and don't forget to cultivate joy.

Reported Methods, Distributions, and Frequencies of Torture Globally: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Importance

Despite its prohibition by the United Nations Convention against Torture and other international treaties, torture has been perpetrated against countless individuals worldwide, and health care practitioners globally are increasingly encountering refugee torture survivors in their clinical practices. The methods, geographic distribution, and frequency of torture globally are not well described, which limits health care practitioners' ability to adequately diagnose and treat the sequelae of torture.

Objective

To rank the commonness of torture methods and identify the regions of the world with which they are associated.

Data Sources

For this systematic review and meta-analysis, Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid Embase, Web of Science, and The Cochrane Library were searched from inception to July 2021.

Study Selection

Included studies were peer-reviewed articles in English, contained an independent sample population of individuals who experienced torture, and outlined the type(s) of torture experienced. Excluded studies were not peer reviewed, lacked an independent sample population, or did not specify torture methods. Articles were chosen for inclusion by 2 independent and blinded reviewers, and a third, independent reviewer resolved discrepancies. Overall, 266 articles-15.3% of the 1739 studies initially identified for full review-met the inclusion criteria.

Data Extraction and Synthesis

Data abstraction and quality assessment followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Data were extracted by 2 independent and blinded reviewers into predefined templates, and a third, independent reviewer resolved discrepancies. The risk of bias was evaluated using the Downs and Black Checklist.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Torture methods were ranked by their average frequencies, numbers of reporting studies, and numbers of countries wherein the methods occurred.

Results

A total of 9937 titles and abstracts were screened, and 266 studies encompassing 103 604 individuals (13 350 men, 5610 women, and 84 644 unspecified) were analyzed. Torture was reported for 105 countries; 21 methods accounted for 84% of all reported methods and 10 methods accounted for 78% of all physical tortures. The top 3 methods were beating or blunt-force trauma (reported in 208 studies and 59 countries; average frequency, 62.4%; 95% CI, 57.7%-67.1%), electrical torture (reported in 114 studies and 28 countries; average frequency, 17.2%; 95% CI, 15.0%-19.4%), and starvation or dehydration (reported in 65 studies in 26 countries; average frequency, 12.7%; 95% CI, 10.2%-15.2%). According to the Downs and Black appraisal tool, 50 studies were rated as good or excellent and 216 as fair or poor.

Conclusions and Relevance

The findings of this study suggest that torture remains widespread. Although innumerable torture methods exist, a limited number account for the vast majority of reported tortures. So that targeted therapies may be developed, additional investigation is needed to better elucidate the sequelae associated with the most common torture methods, described here.

Therapeutic Dance for the Healing of Sexual Trauma: A Systematic Review

Therapeutic dance has been increasingly used as a treatment modality for sexual trauma, yet its evidence-based efficacy has not yet been catalogued. We therefore conducted a systematic review to summarize the existing evidence for therapeutic dance as an intervention for healing after sexual trauma. We searched 5 major databases to identify intervention studies on the use of therapeutic dance for individuals with histories of sexual trauma. Studies were included based on the following criteria: 1) the study involves individuals who have been exposed to sexual trauma; 2) the study reports on any form of dance as a therapeutic intervention; and 3) the study reports on dance intervention outcomes. A total of 1,686 sources were identified. Of these, 11 articles met eligibility criteria and were assessed. Reported outcomes were extracted and organized into emergent domains. We found that therapeutic dance acts upon three broad domains-affect, self, and interpersonal relationships - and can be delivered in diverse settings. Across the studies, dance showed benefits on outcomes. However, a significant weakness of the current peer-reviewed literature is the lack of robust empirical intervention research on dance therapy. Overall, the emerging literature suggests that therapeutic dance is a potential intervention for those who have experienced sexual trauma. The review findings presented here can be used to inform practitioners and systems of care targeted for those who have been subject to sexual trauma.