Salsa Classes Ease Depression, May Reduce Addiction Risk

A new Oxford study finds that salsa classes eased depression and social anxiety in young adults. The finding may carry added significance given how closely untreated depression links to a higher risk of developing a substance use disorder. 

The randomized controlled trial adds to a growing body of research supporting low-cost, community-based activities as part of a broader mental health treatment plan for people managing depression alone or alongside addiction risk.

Dance Therapy’s Effects

Researchers studied 121 young adults ages 18 to 24 with mild to moderate depression and anxiety, randomly assigning them to either an eight-week salsa dance program or a waitlist control group. Participants in both groups completed mental health questionnaires throughout the program.

Those who partook in salsa classes showed a clinically significant reduction in depressive symptoms and social anxiety when compared with the control group, along with larger increases in daily happiness. 

The study’s final assessment indicates that the difference between groups was equivalent to a meaningful clinical shift in depressive symptom scores. Reduced risk of depression can create a domino effect to lessen addiction and overdose risks.

The Researchers Chose Salsa

The intervention received input from young people, which helped researchers select salsa as an activity that felt accessible rather than clinical. Salsa’s physical, social, musical and structured nature may make it easier for people to engage with others. The predictable framework of steps, patterns and partner rotation can lower social barriers to participation for folks who might otherwise avoid group activities.

Researchers carefully noted limits on what the study shows. The sample didn’t consist of clinical interviews and used a waitlist rather than an active control group. This means further research with more rigorous controls is needed before conclusions are drawn about how salsa compares to other established interventions. 

The findings suggest social dance, like music therapy in general, deserves attention as part of a broader menu of wellbeing support, not a replacement for existing mental health treatment.

Treating Co-Occurring Conditions

Depression and anxiety frequently co-occur with substance use disorders, a pattern often described as dual diagnosis or co-occurring disorders. People navigating both a mental health condition and addiction typically need integrated treatment that addresses each condition together rather than in isolation. Untreated depression or anxiety can undermine progress in addiction recovery and vice versa. 

Low-cost, non-pharmacological interventions like structured group activity or even diet changes are increasingly discussed as a complement to traditional behavior therapy. Given the shortages in mental health providers worldwide, dance therapy might be one approach to strengthen recovery efforts when care isn’t accessible.

Comprehensive behavioral health treatment for co-occurring depression, anxiety, and substance use typically combines counseling with medication management when appropriate. Residential and outpatient programs that treat dual diagnosis conditions often build in structured group activities, similar in spirit to the salsa intervention studied here, as part of a broader schedule that also includes individual therapy and psychiatric care. 

The Oxford researchers themselves suggested that healthcare professionals and social prescribing services could recommend dance classes as an additional holistic activity for young people who respond well to social and creative forms of exercise.

Comprehensive Treatment Everywhere

If you’re managing mental health conditions or substance misuse, ask providers how they address co-occurring conditions together rather than separately. Look into whether a program incorporates structured group or physical activity as part of its schedule and how it measures progress across both the mental health and substance use sides of a treatment plan. 

Getting started is simple. Dial 800-908-4823 (Sponsored) and chat with an expert for information on facilities that treat depression and addiction together. Or, look through our directory for verified programs anywhere located in the USA.

Author

Nikki Wisher, BA

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Nikki Wisher is an Atlanta-based content writer who specializes in health and wellness. After earning her BA in English, she has been writing in the health and wellness space for over a decade, with credits ranging from addiction recovery to fitness to aesthetics and skin care. This includes her inclusive running blog forallrunners.com.

Editor

Peter Lee, PhD

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Peter W.Y. Lee is a writer and historian of American history during the Cold War. His primary focus is the relationship between youth and popular culture and its impact on U.S. society during the twentieth century. He has published widely on how the public has used popular culture as a mechanism to address political and social shifts throughout time