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Background: Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that impairs motor and non-motor functions, affecting daily life. Non-pharmacological therapies such as expressive arts therapy and dance/movement therapy are increasingly used as complements to care, but their comparative effectiveness remains unclear.

Objective: This study aimed to compare the effects of Expressive Arts Therapy (EXAT) and Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) on psychosocial outcomes in people with Parkinson’s Disease (PwPD).

Methods: A quasi-experimental, pre-test/post-test design allocated 86 PwPD into an EXAT (n=43) and a DMT (n=43) group for 6-week structured sessions. Outcomes, including quality of life (WHOQOL-BREF, PDQ-39), self-compassion, perceived stress, social support, and self-efficacy, were measured at baseline and post-intervention. Data were analyzed using linear mixed-effects models.

Results: Groups were demographically comparable at baseline. Findings showed no significant between-group differences in quality of life, self-compassion, or perceived stress at post-test. While the EXAT group showed a significant within-group increase in social support (MD, 0.41 [95% CI, 0.01 to 0.80]; P = 0.04), with no between-group differences. A significant time-by-group interaction revealed that the EXAT group experienced a significantly greater improvement in self-efficacy than the DMT group (β = 0.919, [95%CI, 0.19-1.65, p = 0.014]).

Conclusion: Both EXAT and DMT are valuable interventions for PwPD, offering comparable benefits across several psychosocial domains. However, EXAT demonstrated a unique advantage by significantly improving self-efficacy. This suggests that a multimodal approach offering more options for expression may lead to enhanced personal agency in this population. Further research using randomized controlled trials is warranted.