Participation in a YOSAKOI SORAN dance festival improved emotion and mental health

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether the level of emotion, quality of life (QOL) and stress improve in participants in a YOSAKOI SORAN dance festival in Hokkaido during practice and the festival. There are no symptoms of overtraining in either the T-scores of each emotion or the total mood score of Profile of Mood States (POMS) in participants in YOSAKOI SORAN for the four months while they practiced the dance. The results of Mood Check-List Short Form 1 (MCL-S.1) show that the score of pleasantness significantly increased just after, compared to just before the dance practice in the 5th, 15th and 25th day of the dance practice. The score of relaxation just after the practice is higher than the score of just before in the 15th and 25th day of the dance practice, and the relaxation level of participants in YOSAKOI SORAN is lower than that of the control group. The scores of anxiety do not change significantly. The results of Mental Health Pattern (MHP) to evaluate QOL and stress level show that the scores of mental and social stress after the festival in participants are lower than before the dance practice period. Participation in practice and the festival of YOSAKOI SORAN is suggested as being effective for promoting emotional wellness and mental health of persons who live in the northern part of Japan.