Free Dance Proves to be Effective in Depressive Symptoms, Anxiety and Stress in Women Undergoing Breast Cancer Surgery: A Randomized Clinical Trial

<b>Objective:</b> To analyze the effects of 12 weeks of free dancing compared to the control group and the reference group without breast cancer, on depressive symptoms, anxiety and stress in women after breast cancer surgery and to verify the association between the variables. <b>Methods:</b> Randomized clinical trial, comprising women after breast cancer surgery (57.7 ± 9.0 years) and women without breast cancer (51.5 ± 10.8 years), divided into 3 groups; (a) received the free dance intervention (n = 11); (b) control group with breast cancer (n = 11) maintained their routine activities, and (c) control group without breast cancer (n = 12) who were matched by age and could not perform physical exercise during the study period. The dance intervention lasted 12 weeks, with 60-minute sessions, held twice a week. The evaluated outcomes were: depressive symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory), anxiety (Beck Anxiety Inventory), and stress (Perceived Stress Scale). <b>Results:</b> There was statistically significant improvement in the intragroup for free dance in depressive symptoms (<i>P</i> = .025), anxiety (<i>P</i> = .009) and stress (<i>P</i> = .050). No significant intragroup differences were found in the control group I and control group II, as well as intergroup differences. In the association of variables, the healthy reference group worsened in the simple analysis, for anxiety (<i>P</i> ≤ .001) and stress (<i>P</i> = .040), and worsened in the adjusted analysis, also for anxiety (<i>P</i> ≤ .001) and stress (<i>P</i> = .025). <b>Conclusion:</b> Free dancing had positive effects on depressive symptoms, anxiety and stress in women after breast cancer surgery. After verifying the association of the variables, it was noticed a worsening of the variables in the CGII. <b>Clinical registry:</b> Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials (ReBEC) (no. 0RBR-772ktp).