6533b837fe1ef96bd12a25cf

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Emotions in Motion

subject

description

Depression is a disabling medical illness characterized by persistent and all-encompassing feelings of sadness, loss of interest, or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities, as well as problems in emotion regulation. Medication, sometimes in combination with verbal psychotherapy or counselling, is the predominant method of treatment for depression. This article argues that body movement, being fundamental to the perception and production of emotion, should also be considered in approaches and methods utilized in the treatment of depression. This chapter introduces motion capture technology as a method for studying dance movement, and provides a short overview of related studies. Recent findings about the effect of depression on a person’s movement expression, as well as possibilities of using dance/movement therapy (D/MT) as a therapy intervention for depression, are presented. Finally, this chapter gives a voice to one of the clients with depression who participated in a recent D/MT study carried out by the authors.