Salsa Dancing Linked To Reduced Depressive Symptoms In Young Adults

An eight-week salsa programme was associated with significant reductions in depressive symptoms and social anxiety among young adults, suggesting social dance could offer an accessible addition to existing mental health support.

Could salsa dancing support young people’s mental health?

Depression is common among young people, but not everyone finds traditional mental health support accessible or appealing. A new randomised controlled trial led by researchers at the University of Oxford and Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust suggests that social dance could offer another option.

The study involved 121 people aged 18 to 24 experiencing mild to moderately severe depressive symptoms. Participants were randomly assigned either to an eight-week salsa programme or to a waitlist control group, with their mental health assessed before, during and after the programme.

Salsa was linked to fewer depressive symptoms

Young adults who took part in the salsa classes experienced a significantly greater reduction in depressive symptoms than those in the waitlist group.

By the end of the study, the difference between the two groups was equivalent to a 2.45-point reduction on the PHQ-9 depression scale, exceeding the clinically meaningful threshold.

Participants who took part in salsa also experienced greater reductions in social anxiety and a larger increase in daily happiness.

Lead author Brennan Delattre said:

“The results of this study were encouraging, with young people who took part in the salsa classes showing a significantly greater reduction in depressive symptoms and social anxiety and increases in happiness over time.”

Why might social dance help?

The researchers suggest that salsa combines several elements that could support wellbeing, including physical activity, music, social interaction and structure.

Delattre explained:

“As salsa is physical, social, musical, structured, and often playful, it asks people to engage with others, but within a clear framework: steps, patterns, partner rotation, and a predictable class routine.”

This structure may make social interaction feel more manageable for some people than less structured social settings.

The programme was also developed with input from young people, who helped researchers identify salsa as an appealing and acceptable form of social dance. Participants generally responded positively to the classes, highlighting the friendly instructors, welcoming atmosphere and motivation to attend.

Could salsa become part of mental health support?

The researchers stress that salsa is not intended to replace established mental health treatments and may not be suitable for everyone. However, they believe social dance could be explored as an additional form of wellbeing support.

Delattre said,

“While salsa dancing is not a replacement for other types of mental health care, nor will it be the right fit for everyone, our findings suggest that social dance deserves serious attention as part of a broader menu of wellbeing support for young people.”

Co-author Professor Susannah Murphy added, “Too often, there is a gap between the mental health support available and the kinds of activities young people feel motivated to engage with.”

She said the findings suggest that enjoyable and accessible activities such as social dance could potentially become part of a wider range of options for supporting young people’s mental health.

More research is needed

The researchers caution that the study did not use clinical interviews to diagnose participants and compared salsa with a waitlist rather than another active intervention. Further research is therefore needed to understand how effective social dance is compared with other forms of mental health support.

However, the findings suggest that salsa could be explored as a relatively low-cost and enjoyable intervention alongside existing wellbeing programmes in community, university and healthcare settings.

The study highlights the potential value of offering young people a wider range of ways to support their mental health, particularly approaches that combine physical activity with social connection and enjoyment.