Assessing and Improving Mental Resilience in University Dancers: A Pilot Study

Background: Resilience is fundamental for maintaining mental health. Research literature suggests that resilience training may have a major impact on improving mental health and reveals a need for mental health interventions in dance. However, there have been no empirical investigations into building this essential capacity in dancers. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to conduct a pilot investigation evaluating the effects of resilience training using dance-specific behavioral measures. Method: Four university dance majors, between 18 and 20 years old, completed 6 weeks of mental resilience training, consisting of 6 modules in an online application delivered through individual meetings with a resilience coach. We directly observed the effects of resilience training on dance-specific behaviors likely to be related to positive function in training environments (Eye-Contact, Self-Disapproval, and Blanking on Choreography). The individual patterns of behavior revealed by direct observations were evaluated using a multiple-baseline-across-participants-experimental design. Supplemental measures included self-reported assessments of depression (PHQ-9), anxiety (GAD-7), and mental health (RAND Mental Health Inventory) and were assessed as a pre-post comparison. Results: Behavioral indicators of positive function (Eye-Contact, Self-Disapproval, and Blanking on Choreography) showed statistically significant improvements (P values ranging from .008 to .031) after resilience training for each dancer, with a mean improvement of 61%. All 4 dancers also showed "clinically important" improvements in levels of anxiety, and 1 dancer showed "clinically important" improvements in levels of depression. Participants showed improvements in mental health and psychological distress, but changes in psychological wellbeing did not reach the threshold of statistical significance. Conclusion: The findings suggest that resilience training can improve both behavioral indicators of positive function and mental health in university dancers.