Mother-child Dance Improves Mental Health Of Mothers With Moderate To Severe Levels Of Stress, Depression, Or Anxiety And Their Children.

PURPOSE: Moderate to high levels of stress, depression, or anxiety in mothers negatively impacts their personal well being, their child’s well being, and the parent-child relationship. Stress in mothers can impact the neurobiology of their child, furthering a cycle of dysregulation that can be measured at the level of the brain and immune system. We hypothesize that coordinated movement practices, such as dance, may help improve mental health, brain health, and immune processes. METHODS: This study investigated the effect of a mother-child Brain-Compatible Dance Education curriculum on behavior, interbrain synchrony, and immune markers of inflammation in mothers and their children with moderate to severe levels of stress, depression, or anxiety. Mother-child dyads were randomly assigned to participate in two weeks of either mother-child dance (n = 11) or play (n = 6). Before and after the experience, mothers answered a series of self-reported mental health metrics and all participants provided saliva samples and had their brain activity recorded via electroencephalography during various interactive experiences. RESULTS: Preliminary results indicate that mother-child dance significantly increased positive affect (t(15) = 2.107, p = 0,026), decreased depression (Beck Depression Inventory t(14) = -1.791, p = 0.047; DSM 5 Cross-Cutting Symptom measure t(11.580) = -1.995, p = 0.035) and parental stress (t(14) = -1.849, p = 0.043) and improved positive aspects of the parent-child relationship (t(5.482) = 2.346, p = 0.031). Additionally, salivary interleukin-6 (IL-6) was significantly correlated between mother and child (r = 0.9, p = 0.05), indicating synchronicity at the level of the immune system. Future analyses will focus on the influence of mother-child dance on interbrain synchrony and its relationship to behavioral and immune outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: These initial results demonstrate a positive effect of mother-child dance on mothers with moderate-high levels of stress, depression, or anxiety, and their children. Institute for Society, Culture, and Environment Scholars Award at Virginia Tech