This Specific Hobby Might Ease Your Depression, New Study Finds

For many people with depression, the best treatment involves a combination of therapy, lifestyle changes, and possibly medication. But there's a lot to consider—the lifestyle category alone is massive, for starters—making it easy to get overwhelmed. But the latest research offers a new lifestyle suggestion that might help—and be enjoyable: salsa dancing.

It seems random, but a new Psychological Medicine study found that taking up a salsa dance habit was associated with fewer symptoms of depression. It may also have the added benefit of easing symptoms of social anxiety, as well.

This isn’t a prescriptive study suggesting salsa dancing as a replacement for therapy or medication, but if you're at least open to the idea, psychologists say it's worth considering. Here's why.

Meet the experts: Brennan Delattre, lead study author, international partner dance instructor and psychological researcher at the University of Oxford; John Mayer, PhD, psychologist and author of Family Fit: Find Your Balance in Life; Thea Gallagher, PsyD, clinical associate professor at NYU Langone Health and co-host of the Mind in View podcast; and Hillary Ammon, PsyD, a clinical psychologist at the Center for Anxiety and Women’s Emotional Wellness

What did the study find?

For the randomized controlled trial, researchers consulted with a youth advisory group that included participants with depression and anxiety. Researchers screened everyone to see which dance style would be most appealing.

From there, the scientists recruited 121 people between the ages of 18 and 24 who had mild to moderately severe symptoms of depression based on a screening questionnaire. They were then randomly assigned to either an eight-week salsa dance class (which included regular attendees who weren't part of the study) or a waitlist control group. The waitlist group had to wait 12 weeks before they could take the dance class.

During the study, participants completed several questionnaires about their mental health, while the researchers tracked changes in their levels of anxiety, social anxiety, and symptoms of depression. Participants were also asked to rate their happiness daily on a scale of one to 10.

After 12 weeks, the researchers found that those who were in the salsa group reported having lower symptoms of depression compared to those in the waitlist group. Specifically, on the Patient Health Questionnaire, a standard zero-to-27 depression questionnaire, the salsa group's total fell by an average of three points. The waitlist group's total fell by less than one. This drop in the salsa dance group's total was considered clinically meaningful.

Another added perk was that people in the salsa group had a steady decline in social anxiety over the study period.

Why might salsa dancing help depression and social anxiety?

The study didn't dive into why salsa dancing may help depression and social anxiety—it just found a link. Still, experts have a few different theories.

Social dancing is a "combined intervention" with several aspects that may help, says Brennan Delattre, lead study author, international partner dance instructor, and psychological researcher at the University of Oxford. "In a single class, you can have positive social interactions, moving in sync with other people and to music, laughter, play, light to moderate exercise, a weekly routine, and the deep absorption of learning something new," she says. "Each of these has its own evidence for supporting mood."

Salsa dancing is also a type of behavioral activation, which means engaging in potentially rewarding activities even when your mood makes you want to withdraw, says Thea Gallagher, PsyD, clinical associate professor at NYU Langone Health and co-host of the Mind in View podcast. "A standing class also reduces decision fatigue because there’s already a plan, rather than having to decide each week what to do and with whom," she adds.

Plus, every class can provide people with small, repeated experiences of "social success," like connecting with a partner or getting a certain move right, Delattre says. "For people with difficulties connecting socially, or with low mood, those experiences can quietly challenge the beliefs or experiences supporting the idea that social situations are likely to go badly," she says.

Salsa dancing might also help distract those with social anxiety, says John Mayer, PhD, psychologist and author of Family Fit: Find Your Balance in Life. "The activity of salsa dancing is diverting the brain into thinking about something else besides your social anxiety," he says. "You have to concentrate on your steps and movements, the music, the rhythms [that] divert your mind away from your social anxiety."

Learning with others also gives you all a sense of accomplishment and connection, Gallagher says. "You have a shared challenge, something to talk about, and repeated opportunities to become familiar with one another," she points out.

Could this apply to everyone?

The study focused on people between the ages of 18 and 24, but experts say it's fair to assume this can extend to others as well. "We don’t think that the beneficial ingredients of social dance are age-specific," says Delattre.

And if you like the idea but are drawn to other forms of dance beyond salsa, this intervention might still be useful. What seems to really matter here is moving your body and learning something new in a group. Leaving with better skills is simply an added bonus.

“A structured class, like salsa dancing, could be beneficial for adults who want to connect with others or try a new hobby,” says Hillary Ammon, PsyD, a clinical psychologist at the Center for Anxiety and Women’s Emotional Wellness. “Look into local classes, as they are often low-cost and in your community.”

But Ammon stresses that this isn’t the only thing you should be doing for your mental health. “If depressive or anxious symptoms are significantly impacting your quality of life, I would also encourage readers to seek out therapy or speak with your primary care physician,” she says.