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. 2021 Sep 9:12:709798.
doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.709798. eCollection 2021.

Effectiveness of Body Psychotherapy. A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Sophie Rosendahl  1 , Heribert Sattel  2 , Claas Lahmann  3
Affiliations

Effectiveness of Body Psychotherapy. A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Sophie Rosendahl et al. Front Psychiatry. .

Abstract

Despite the growing relevance and applicability of elements based on and derived from the embodied mind paradigm, body psychotherapy (BPT) appears not to be a well-established treatment option. This might be due to a lack of proof for its efficacy. We searched electronic databases (Pubmed MEDLINE, PsycInfo, and PSYNDEX) for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) examining predefined BPT interventions. A total of 2,180 references were screened, of which 113 studies were scrutinized in detail and 18 RCTs finally included. The observed effect size (ES) demonstrated medium effects of BPT on primary outcomes psychopathology and psychological distress. In case of significant statistical heterogeneity, exploratory subgroup analyses revealed diagnosis and the degree of control group activity as noteworthy moderators. For secondary outcomes, evidence was scarce, and an improvement could be demonstrated only for coping abilities. The identified evidence indicates that BPT is beneficial for a wide spectrum of psychic suffering. There is a strong need for high-quality studies with bigger samples and for well-defined diagnostic entities to underpin its effectiveness.

Keywords: body psychotherapy; embodiment; meta-analysis; psychic distress; systematic review.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flow of information through the phases of the review (Prisma 2009).
Figure 2
Figure 2
(A) Forest plot of between-group effect (BPT vs. CG) on psychopathology. (B) Forest plot of between-group effect (BPT vs. CG) on psychological distress.
Figure 3
Figure 3
(A) Forest plot of between-group effects (BPT vs. CG) on coping abilities. (B) Forest plot of between-group effects (BPT vs. CG) on quality of life. (C) Forest plot of between-group effects (BPT vs. CG) on body experience. (D) Forest plot of between-group effects (BPT vs. CG) on interpersonal conflicts.
Figure 4
Figure 4
(A) Effect on psychopathology split on different moderators. (B) Effect on psychological distress split on different moderators.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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