[Adta] Research action ready to be taken!

Mon Feb 19 01:33:33 EST 2007

Dear all,
It's good to see these issues being put out there.  Lenore, I think you have offered great and very practical suggestions.  As I think Beth said, there are studies available already, and what is needed is for these to be known about, first and most importantly by the dance therapy community itself, and then to be used in whatever ways serve the furthering of the work of DMT.  So let's see what we have already...that's the place to start.

I'd like to highlight the importance of student research, for among these are often the "pilot" studies, the experimenting with different methodologies.  As I suggested some time ago, having them digitally published is useful, since the links can easily be sent to colleagues, or even having some theses put on the ADTA website (I'm not sure how these would be selected).  Perhaps student research abstracts could be featured in the journal or newsletter.  I also think that those who are teaching can also pick up on interesting and exceptional theses and encourage students to submit the abstract, or write an article.  One of my creative arts therapies students here in Australia, through my mediation, had an article published in a British aged care journal on her experience in a nursing home.  It was a great learning thing for her, and indeed very affirming of what she already knew.  I also felt that it provided insights to the people (mainly social workers, care workers, aged care policy people etc.) who read that journal and who knew nothing of dance therapy. 

An excellent idea too about having various scales, measurement tools, etc. collected.  I remember painfully trying to find relevant scales for movement observation when I did an early research piece.  It would have been good to just be able to go to a website.  

And further - to betray my own preferences - I'd like to see us look beyond the concept of "measurement" - and look to the vast array of qualitative and artistic methodologies available.  These also represent "real" research....and by now have a long history in research practice.  In our dance therapy practice, we believe that knowing, understanding etc can come through movement (and other arts) - yet why, when it comes to research, do we feel there is only one way of knowing ?

Just to revisit briefly the thing about evidence-based practice and the point I made about what constitutes evidence.  Recently a colleague of mine doing her PhD on psycho-social interventions in dementia came across a review article on this subject (Verkaik, van Weert, Francke, 2005 - The effects of psychosocial methods on depressed, aggressive and apathetic behaviors of people with dementia: a systematic review.  In International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, Vol.20, pp 301-314).  Out of 177 studies, they excluded all but 19 studies as being of insufficient quality.  Quality appeared to be defined in terms of criteria appropriate to "natural sciences" (positivist) research.  Their conclusion was that while there was some variation in results, overall evidence for the effectiveness of psycho-social interventions is "quite modest".    I find this conclusion quite astounding and hard to believe.  (There was much else to criticise in this article, but I will contain myself !) This I guess is what I was trying to say in my previous email in regards to who defines "evidence".

On the other side of the "evidence-based practice" picture is the example of how psychotropic drugs are still routinely used with people with dementia DESPITE evidence that they are not particularly helpful and indeed often aggravate or even create disturbed behaviour.  People will continue to practice what they practice if convention and custom (in this instance, the use of medication) support it.

Anyway, again - great ideas, Lenore.  As the others have said, having access to such information is good for promoting the profession.  It also can enhance our own understanding of the work and improve how we work with our clients.  I found that having done research into my practice, I felt a lot more confident in articulating what I did to others.  From my experience, it is the ability to articulate to other non-dance therapy colleagues and the fostering of relationship with them, plus doing a good job, which is the ultimate proof of the value of the work.

Thanks to all for picking up on this topic - an ongoing one, I'm sure.

Kind regards,
Heather
----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Hervey, Lenore 
  To: Adta at adta.org 
  Sent: Monday, February 19, 2007 10:13 AM
  Subject: [Adta] Research action ready to be taken!

  Dear colleagues,

  I'm so happy that this conversation is happening, and that so many people are passionate about it. From my experience on the Research Subcommittee, and from suggestions made here, I think we might be ready to take some action in a few of very realistic ways.

  First, as some of you may know, there are two comprehensive bibliographies posted on the Research pages of the ADTA website. (http://www.adta.org/resources/research.cfm) They are on DMT with children and DMT with the elderly. They include theses, books, articles, chapters, videos and even some conference procedings. Though they both need updating (I think they were done in 2002), they are helpful to those wishing to do research in either of those fields, by saving a lot of leg work searching for the sources for a lit review.  

  If there were similar comprehensive bibliographies on other populations, just think how helpful that would be to those who wish to do research and publish it! We are badly in need of bibliographies on trauma and eating disorders. I believe that there are probably many at least partial bibliographies our there already done, and if they were compiled, they could be posted on the website too.

  The specialists in various DMT fields of practice probably know what the most recent studies are in that field.  If we could get one person from each specialty to serve as collector, that person could compile all the smaller bibliographies that others sent them (thesis students are a wealth of knowledge in this area) and we could post them with the other two. Someone on the Research Subcommittee could help put it inot APA format.

  The specialist, with the help of the Research Subcommittee, could discern which articles might best be included in a short list of 4-6 of the best, most useful, most evidence-based studies to use in the ways that have been identified by others in earlier emails - for PR, marketing, job development, grants, etc.

  Second, I think it would be so helpful to have a section on the Research webpages that listed measurement tools that DMTs have used successfully, with brief descriptions of how they are used (for instance can a DMT use them or must a psychologist) how much they cost and where to get a hold of them.. We would need a volunteer to be the soliciter and compiler of that list as well. Beth's wonderful tool, (the BRIAAC I think it was called) and Ilene Serlin's new tool are examples of measures developed by dance/movement therapists, but there are other DMT friendly measures as well. 

  Please, if there are people who would be willing to be actively involved in either of these efforts, please let me know, and we'll get right on it!!!

  Lenore Hervey
  Chair, Research Subcommittee, ADTA
  312-344-8548

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