Evaluating the Impact of Sports Therapy on Family Functioning and Mental Health Among Middle-age to Elderly Individuals in Community Rehabilitation Program in Kunshan, China

Abstract

Psychiatric disorders like schizophrenia, mania, and infantile intellectual disability affect family functioning greatly, and hence they are more likely to cause strained interpersonal relations, emotional non-expressiveness, and distress. While standard therapies support the use of drugs and psychotherapy, other therapies, such as sports therapy, have some additional benefits. This quasi-experiment tested the impact of a dance-focused sports therapy intervention on family cohesion, conflict resolution, and psychological resilience for 40 residents with long-term mental illness residing in Kunshan, China. Participants were randomly allocated to an experimental group (n = 20), receiving typical welfare center activity and dance therapy, or a control group (n = 20), receiving only typical activity. The intervention was implemented twice weekly for eight weeks, and the family functioning was measured using the Chinese Family Environment Scale (FES-CV). Paired t-test analysis revealed a significant decrease in family conflict (p = 0.018), achievement orientation (p = 0.0423), and family control (p = 0.0499) in the experimental group but no significant changes in the control group. Difference-in-Differences (DiD) analysis was employed to compare changes in family functioning in intervention and control groups. Reduction in family conflict was greater and statistically significant in the intervention group (DiD = -0.47, p = 0.018), indicating that the intervention was associated with reduced interpersonal tension. Similarly, achievement orientation also improved significantly more in the intervention group than in the control group (DiD = 0.87, p = 0.0423). Family control also improved significantly (DiD = 0.58, p = 0.0499), without significant improvement in the control group qualitative observations of enhanced social interaction, emotional expression, and enthusiasm were noted among the participants. The findings validate that dance sports therapy is an effective complementary treatment to improve family relations and mental health among persons afflicted with chronic mental illness. Future studies are advised to conduct larger-scale investigations to establish long-term advantages of systematic movement therapy in rehabilitation from mental illness. Keywords: Sports therapy, dance therapy, mental health rehabilitation, family functioning, community-based intervention, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, Intellectual disabilities.