MENTAL HEALTH
Behind the artistry and commitment of dancers lies a complex mental world shaped by strict aesthetics, cultural norms, and high-pressure environments. Research shows that mental health struggles are common among dancers and often under-addressed.
“One in five (20.8%) dancers had at least moderate symptoms of either depression, generalized anxiety disorder, or eating disorders.”
(Junge & Hauschild, 2023)
A higher prevalence of mental health symptoms in women than in men has been reported for general populations, elite athletes, and in professional dancers.
(Junge & Hauschild, 2023)
BACKGROUND:
What factors contribute to mental health challenges?
Dancers are exposed to various stressors that may have a negative impact on their mental health. These stressors have been categorized as cultural, intrapersonal, interpersonal, and situational.
(Junge & Hauschild, 2023)
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These are broader, industry-wide norms and expectations embedded in dance culture that can shape how dancers view themselves, their success, and their worth.
Traditional gender roles and aesthetics-first mentality: The expectation to fulfill a specific body image or physical appearance.
Push-through-pain mentality: Normalizing pain, struggles, and silence at the expense of health.
Stigma around mental health: The idea that seeking help or support is viewed as weakness or lack of commitment.
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These stem from dancers’ relationships with others — teachers, choreographers, peers, family, or directors.
Power dynamics & authority roles: Fear of disappointing mentors or losing roles.
Perceived pressure and expectations from others: Peer comparison, favoritism, and feeling “replaceable.”
Feedback and body-shaming: Comments about weight, appearance, or performance that affect self-worth.
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These are internal beliefs, self-perceptions, personalities, and coping patterns that influence how dancers process stress and challenges.
Perfectionism or high self-criticism and low self-worth: Believing you're never “good enough” despite achievement.
Competitiveness or fear of failure: Linking self-value to success or external approval.
Anxiety and overthinking: Excessive worry about casting, feedback, or body image.
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These are context-dependent or environmental pressures related to the dancer’s lifestyle, routine, or career stage.
Intense training loads: Risks of overtraining and injury due to limited time for rest or recovery
Career uncertainty: Entering professional work, retiring, or switching careers can cause grief, confusion, or identity loss.
Financial pressure: Paying for training, travel, and healthcare without job security.
Balancing life demands without adequate support: Difficulty with role balance due to juggling school, jobs, and social life under demanding schedules
THE INTERSECTION OF STRESSORS
An injured dancer may feel…
Situationally isolated during rehab.
Interpersonally pressured by peers to “catch up”.
Intrapersonally ashamed for not being able to train.
Culturally invalidated for taking time off
MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS
DEPRESSION & ANXIETY
The prevalence of moderate to severe depression is 11.1% in female dancers and 6.4% in male dancers.
There is an increase in anxiety & depression symptoms in both male and female dancers than the general population.
(Junge & Hauschild, 2023)
Among female dancers, 42.4% reported mental health issues versus 8.3% of males. Depression (~55%) and anxiety (~50%) were most common.
Prevalence of symptoms of depression and generalised anxiety disorder in female and male dancers and a general population similar age (25–34 years) and same gender
A study conducted by Arcelus, et al. (2013) reported that dancers had a three times higher risk of eating disorders, particularly anorexia nervosa.
EATING DISORDERS
Environment, parents, coaches, and peers emerged as the largest factors influencing dancers’ relationship with their body. These influencers were found to generate and perpetuate body image discourses that reinforce the ideal dancer’s body and negative body image.
More than 1 in 2 female dancers and 1 in 3 male dancers do not meet their energy needs.
The prevalence of eating disorders in ballet dancers is higher than that of general dancers (12%). This difference may be explained by the higher incidence of appearance-based critiques associated with ballet as opposed to other styles of dance.
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ANOREXIA NERVOSA
A condition where individuals severely restrict their food intake due to an intense fear of gaining weight and a distorted body image. It often leads to extreme thinness, fatigue, and serious health risks like bone loss and heart issues.
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BULIMIA
Characterized by cycles of binge eating followed by purging (e.g., vomiting, laxative use, or excessive exercise) to avoid weight gain. Bulimia can damage the digestive system, disrupt electrolytes, and affect heart and dental health.
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BINGE EATING DISORDER
Involves regularly eating large amounts of food in a short period, often accompanied by feelings of shame or loss of control. Unlike bulimia, there are no purging behaviors. BED can lead to physical and emotional distress.
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AVOIDANT RESTRICTIVE FOOD INTAKE DISORDER (ARFID)
A pattern of extreme picky eating or fear-based avoidance of food that leads to nutritional deficiencies or weight loss. Unlike anorexia, ARFID is not driven by body image concerns and may be linked to sensory issues or fear of choking/vomiting.
ADOLESCENTS & SOCIAL MEDIA
The increasing number of adolescents on social media makes young girls particularly vulnerable to disordered eating attitudes and behaviors. Especially during adolescence, gendered beliefs and cultural expectations place girls under immense pressure to conform to an “ideal body image”, which reinforces a negative relationship with their weight and appearance.
(Doria & Numer, 2022)
PEER COMPARISON
Adolescent girls often view being thin as a social advantage based on the perception that their peers hold being thin in high regard; believing that being thin will improve their likability by their peers is one of the highest risk factors for EDB development among adolescent girls
How can we better support the dance community?
MENTAL HEALTH SCREENINGS
Mental health problems should be a part of routine health screenings of professional dancers, and access to adequate treatment should be provided to dancers identified in screenings.
EDUCATION
Mental health awareness and literacy should be raised or integrated into dance training to inform dancers of risk factors, provide support resources, and reduce stigma in discussing mental health challenges.
Optimizing the dance environment:
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Build in moments for breathwork, visualization, or grounding before difficult phrases or performances.
Integrate techniques like goal-setting, self-talk reframing, or pre-performance routines into class structure.
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Schedule reasonable breaks and hydration pauses.
Rotate through mentally or emotionally demanding choreography in manageable doses.
Avoid overloading dancers with back-to-back rehearsals without recovery time.
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Balance expectations with compassion when providing feedback
Offer structure and discipline alongside empathy and flexibility.
Recognize signs of burnout, perfectionism, or performance anxiety and respond with support, not pressure.
Praise effort and growth, not just outcome.
REFERENCES
Arcelus, J., Witcomb, G. L., & Mitchell, A. (2014). Prevalence of eating disorders amongst dancers: a systemic review and meta-analysis. European Eating Disorders Review: The Journal of the Eating Disorders Association, 22(2), 92–101. https://doi.org/10.1002/erv.2271
Doria, N., & Numer, M. (2022). Dancing in a culture of disordered eating: A feminist poststructural analysis of body and body image among young girls in the world of dance. PLOS ONE, 17(1), e0247651. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0247651
Junge, A., & Hauschild, A. (2023). Behind the curtain: Prevalence of symptoms of depression, generalised anxiety and eating disorders in 147 professional dancers from six opera houses or state theatres. Sports Medicine - Open, 9(1), 92. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40798-023-00638-9