Effects of dance therapy on anxiety, stress, optimism and depressive symptoms in women undergoing breast cancer surgery: a randomized clinical trial.

PURPOSE: To analyze the effects of 12 weeks of dance therapy compared to control group I and control group II on anxiety, stress, optimism, and depressive symptoms in women undergoing breast cancer surgery. METHODS: This randomized clinical trial involved 21 (59 ± 9.9 years) breast cancer survivors and 12 (51 ± 10.8 years) healthy women who were divided into three groups: (a) dance therapy (GI n = 10), (b) control group I (GC n = 11) and (c) control group II (GCII n = 12). The results evaluated were: Anxiety (Beck Anxiety Inventory); Stress (Perceived Stress Scale); Optimism (Life Orientation Test); and depressive symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory). RESULTS: There was an improvement in anxiety (p ≤ 0.001) within and between GI when compared to the other groups. There was an improvement in optimism in the GC (p = 0.017) and a worsening in the GI (p = 0.004). No changes were observed in the analyzed variables within or between GCII. CONCLUSION: Dance therapy showed positive effects on anxiety in women undergoing breast cancer surgery compared to the groups who did not participate in the intervention in this study. CLINICAL REGISTRATION: Brazilian Clinical Trials Registry (ReBEC) (No. 0RBR-772ktp).