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NCT Number: NCT07293806

Dance-movement Therapy in the Treatment of Adolescent Depression

The aim of this research is to measure the effectiveness of Dance movement therapy in the treatment of adolescent depression.

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Key information

Conditions

Depression Behavior Behavioral Symptoms

Age range

13 year–17 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Adolecent mental health services, Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

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About this study

Research will start by recruitment of 140 patients (aged 13-17 years) from youth psychiatric outpatient clinic in Helsinki University Central hospital. They will be randomized to two groups. The intervention group will attend Dance movement therapy (DMT) for 12 weeks and the control group is getting treatment as usual (TAU). The outcome will be measured with self-report questionnaires and interviews measuring symptoms of depression and body image. Outcome measurements will be done before intervention, after intervention and 3 months after intervention has finished. The research will start in September 2022 and continue until the end of 2027. The results will be published in medical scientific journals during the year 2027

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Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Diagnosis of medium or severe depression; BDI 16 points or more. At least 4/9 symptoms of depression in K-SADS-PL interview

Exclusion criteria

  • Acute psychosis, psychotic depression, personality disorder, severe anorexia, substance misuse that is on a critical level

Treatment and study plan

dance movement therapy

Other

A group therapy model for treatment of depression by dance movement therapist. Study consist of 12 therapy sessions, each session lasting 1hour 15minutes. There will be 6 patients in each group.

Primary outcomes

  1. Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-21)

    Time frame: baseline, 8 weeks, 12 weeks, 6 months

    The self-report questionnaire to assess depressive symptoms, minimum 0 points, maximum 63 points, more severe depression with higher scores

  2. Young Person's Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation (YP-Core)

    Time frame: baseline, 8 weeks, 12 weeks, 6 months

    The self- report questionnaire to measure depressive and overal symptoms in youth, minimum 0 points, maximum 40 points, or median of scores, higher scores indicating more symptoms

Secondary outcomes

  1. Adolescent Depression Rating Scale (ADRS)

    Time frame: baseline, 12 weeks, 6 months

    Clinical interview to measure depressive symptoms in youth, minimum 0 and maximum 60 points, highers scores indicating more severe depression

  2. Body Image assessment

    Time frame: baseline, 12 weeks, 6 months

    Self-report questionnaire to assess body image/experience, 11 items with minimum 11 and maxomum 77 points, a qualitative scale

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Elina Santti, PhD

CONTACT

[email protected]

+35894711

Riikka Valjakka, MD

CONTACT

[email protected]

+358445185156

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Helsinki University Central Hospital

Other

Collaborators

  • Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare
  • Finnish Medical Foundation
  • University of Helsinki

Registry information

Official study title

Study Protocol for a Randomised Controlled Trial of Dance-movement Therapy for Adolescents With Depression

Acronym: DMT

Important dates

Study start
2022
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2027
First posted
Dec 19, 2025
Registry last updated
Dec 26, 2025

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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