Pengaruh Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) terhadap Penurunan Depresi pada Lansia di Puskesmas Kartasura

Aging is the last process in human life, many changes will be experienced in this phase, every individual different changes experiences. Physical, cognitive, psychological, and social changes in old age can cause depression. Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) is a recreational physical exercise, a means of verbal and non-verbal communication, a means of self-expression, a means of social interaction, fun games, and a means of releasing tension. These benefits can lead to a positive mood for someone who is depressed so that a score of depression can occur. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of Dance Movement Therapy on improving depression in the elderly. The design of this study was Quasi Experiment pretest posttest with control group design. The subjects of this study were 50 elderly in the working area of the Kartasura Health Center. Treatment is given four times for one month. The questionnaire used to assess the level of depression is PHQ-9 (Patient Health Questionnaire). The data analysis used was Wilcoxon test and Mann-Whitney test. The results show that Z-4,611 (p value of treatment group and control group 0,000) can be concluded that there is an effect of DMT on decreasing depression in the elderly. Keywords: elderly, depression, Dance Movement Therapy.