Veterans, loved ones, and volunteers alike enjoy the fun, fellowship, and sense of well-being that are the hallmark of community dance. Veteran participants report greater wellness, improved relationships, and a clear reduction in symptoms.
peer-reviewed study of dancing well outcomes
Dancing Well outcomes have been documented in a peer-reviewed study entitled “Pilot Data on Effects of Community Dance for Veterans with PTSD and their Family Members” published in the Journal of Veterans Studies (July 2019). The study was conducted by Western Connecticut State University and the University of Louisville and measured the effects of participation in the Dancing Well program on veterans and adult family members.
Questionnaires measured connectedness, experience avoidance, hope and optimism. Results from three questionnaires were combined into a single “Wellness” score. Significant improvements in Wellness were found in all participants, regardless of PTSD status. Those with PTSD began the series with sub-normal levels of Wellness but ended the series in the normal range. Those without PTSD began with scores in the normal range and improved by the end of the series. Details can be found here.
additional outcomes
Prior to completion of the study, pre- and post-dance surveys for the Louisville dance series reported improved mood, memory, sleep, physical health, and outlook on the future, as well as decreased anxiety and pain levels, for participating veterans with PTSD and/or brain injury. Veterans also reported feeling less isolated and that their relationships with family, friends, and others had improved. These benefits were constant in surveys given immediately following the series and three months later.
“You know, it’s really amazing – you start us off with just walking and pretty soon the music starts and we’re dancing. We don’t even realize it, and now we’re dancing. And once we get going, I can’t stop smiling. All my cares just slip away, and I feel really good.”
These surveys show gains for veteran families, as well, including better relationships with partners and parents and in addition to the many benefits that come from interacting and networking with other families coping with PTSD and brain injury.
Click the link below to learn about the impact of our work on an individual veteran and his family.