With the increasing pressure of modern society, the incidence rate of depression among college students is gradually increasing, especially recurrent depression. Currently, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is one of the mainstream treatment methods for depression. At the same time, dance, as a comprehensive physical and mental exercise, has also demonstrated its potential therapeutic value in the field of mental health. This study explores the therapeutic effects of combining dance teaching reform in universities with cognitive behavioral therapy.

The experiment selected 100 confirmed recurrent depression college students from a certain university and randomly divided them into two groups. A control group of 50 individuals only received standard cognitive behavioral therapy; The experimental group of 50 participants participated in a 12-week dance course while undergoing CBT. Treatment effectiveness was evaluated through the Self Rating Depression Scale and Beck Depression Questionnaire.

After the study, both groups showed significant improvement in depressive symptoms. The experimental group showed greater improvement in emotional regulation, self-efficacy, and social skills than the control group. In addition, the recurrence rate of the experimental group was significantly lower than that of the control group.

Dance, as an activity of integrating body and mind, can effectively enhance the therapeutic effect of cognitive behavioral therapy. For the special group of college students, combining dance teaching reform in universities with cognitive behavioral therapy may be an effective strategy, which can improve treatment effectiveness and reduce the recurrence rate.

A Strategic Study on the Protection and Inheritance of the “Evil Dragon Dance” in Zhijiang, Huaihua, Hunan Province from the Perspective of Intangible Cultural Heritage. (No. 22A0652).