Structured dance movement therapy for depersonalization-derealization disorder

Depersonalization-derealization disorder (DDD) frequently includes a sense of bodily detachment such as being unable to feel one’s body, with a lack of awareness of bodily sensations. This suggests that body-focused interventions may be efficacious in addressing depersonalization-derealization (DD) symptoms. We developed two dance/movement tasks with an aim to reduce DD symptoms either through dance exercise by raising the salience of bodily signals (DE task) or by training body awareness through paying attention to bodily signals (BA task). Individuals with DDD ( n = 18) and non-clinical controls ( n = 14) performed both tasks individually in a cross-over design. Assessments included DD symptom severity, interoception, mindfulness, proprioceptive accuracy, interval timing, and body vigilance, before, during and after the tasks. At baseline, DDD participants exhibited significantly higher temporal precision but significantly lower interoceptive awareness, mindfulness and visual proprioceptive accuracy compared to controls. No significant group differences were found for interoceptive accuracy or sensibility. Both dance tasks reduced the severity of DD symptoms, overall and anomalous bodily experiences, in the DDD group. Within-subject correlations in the DDD group showed that a decrease in symptoms were associated with task-specific (BA) elevations in mindfulness. Objective measures of task performance corroborated physiological task differences, with the DE task involving a higher average heart rate and more body movements than the BA task. These results provide further support for individual, structured dance/movement as an efficacious tool to reduce symptoms in DDD by promoting mindful engagement with the body, and highlight the possibility and importance of tailoring dance-based interventions to specific symptoms and disorders. • Bodily detachment is often present in depersonalization-derealization disorder (DDD). • Elevated temporal precision in DDD at baseline compared to non-clinical controls. • Reduced interoceptive awareness, mindfulness, proprioceptive accuracy in DDD at baseline. • Individual, structured dance tasks reduced dissociative symptoms in DDD. • Lower symptoms correlated with task-specific mindfulness elevations in DDD.