Behind the Curtain: Prevalence of Symptoms of Depression, Generalised Anxiety and Eating Disorders in 147 Professional Dancers from Six Opera Houses or State Theatres

Abstract

Background Mental health problems cover a wide spectrum. Depression and anxiety disorders are the most frequent mental health problem in the general population and in elite athletes. The aim of the present study was to assess the prevalence of symptoms of depression, generalised anxiety disorder and eating disorders in professional dancers, to compare the results between genders and to the general population and to analyse potential determinants. Methods During a pre-season health screening, professional dancers of six German companies answered a comprehensive questionnaire on personal and dancer-specific characteristics, medical history and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), Generalised Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire (GAD-7) and Eating-Disorder-Examination-Questionnaire (EDE-QS). Results A total of 82 (55.8%) female and 65 (44.2%) male dancers answered the questionnaire. One in five (20.8%) dancers had at least moderate symptoms of either depression, generalised anxiety disorder or eating disorders. The prevalence of at least moderate symptoms of depression was 11.1% in female and 6.4% in male dancers, of generalised anxiety disorder 16.0% in female and 6.4% in male dancers and of eating disorders 14.8% in female and 6.1% in male dancers. Compared to the general population of the same gender and similar age, the prevalence of at least moderate symptoms of generalised anxiety disorder was significantly higher in both genders. About one in four dancers (26.9%) reported a subjective need for support from a psychotherapist at the time of the screening. The PHQ-9, GAD-7 and EDE-QS sum scores were not related to the size or type of the companies, the age or rank of the dancers, but the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 sum score were significantly related to severity of musculoskeletal pain in the past seven days and to chronic or recurrent symptoms of low mood and generalised anxiety. Conclusion The prevalence of symptoms of depression, generalised anxiety and eating disorders was high in professional dancers. Routine screening and low-threshold interventions to improve mental health of professional dancers are recommended.

Health Problems of Professional Ballet Dancers: an Analysis of 1627 Weekly Self-Reports on Injuries, Illnesses and Mental Health Problems During One Season

“…While in our study the prevalence was substantially higher in female than in male dancers, no gender difference was found in dance students [ 19 ]. A higher prevalence of mental health symptoms in women than in men has been reported for general populations [ 34 , 35 ], elite athletes [ 36 , 37 ] and in professional dancers [ 38 ]. Similar to the general population, the most frequent symptoms in the present study were “depression, low mood” and “generalized anxiety”.…”

“…Potential reasons for mental health problems of dancers (e.g. body image pressure, chronic injury, career uncertainty, training load) have been discussed in the literature [ 38 – 40 ]. However, few preventive interventions have been developed and evaluated [ 41 ].…”

Characteristics of mental skills interventions in dance: a mixed methods systematic review protocol

“… 3 4 Research shows that coping with these challenges is taking a toll on dancers’ physical and mental health and that dancers appear more prone to certain mental health challenges compared with the general population. 5 For instance, van Winden et al indicated that 39.4% of pre-professional contemporary dancers in their study reported mental health issues that affected their mental well-being and physical health. 6 A more recent study uncovered that 20.8% of the participating professional ballet, contemporary and revue dancers had moderate symptoms of either depression, anxiety or eating disorders and that, compared with a general population, this prevalence was twice as high in female dancers.…”

“… 6 A more recent study uncovered that 20.8% of the participating professional ballet, contemporary and revue dancers had moderate symptoms of either depression, anxiety or eating disorders and that, compared with a general population, this prevalence was twice as high in female dancers. 5 …”