Scientific publications

Ever since Basic Body Awareness Therapy (BBAT) was brought into physiotherapy in the 1980ies, scientific methods have been applied in order to study, describe and develope its clinical use in various patient groups. The research encompasses patents' and therapists' experiences as well as the treatment outcome. Methodological studies have been conducted with the purpose to further explore healthpromoting aspects in the movement practice, including the pedagogics used and the therapeutic preconditions. On this page, you will find an alphabetic overview of scientific publications conserning BBAT. To help you navigating through the list, the green buttons organize the literatur into themes.

The phenomenon of movement quality: a phenomenographic study of physiotherapy students' movement experiences.

Ahola, S., Piirainen, A., & Skjaerven, LH.

European Journal of Physiotherapy, 19(2), 59-68.

Physiotherapists' conceptions of movement awareness- A phenomenographic study.

Ahola, S., Skjaerven, L. H., & Piirainen, A.

Physiother Theory Pract, 1-15.

Effectiveness of body awareness therapy in stroke survivors: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials.

Alamer, A., Getie, K., Melese, H., Mazea, H.

Open Access Journal of Clinical Trials. 2020; 12: 23-32.

Patients’ experiences from basic body awareness therapy in the treatment of binge eating disorder -movement toward health: A phenomenological study.

Albertsen MN, Natvik E, Råheim M.

Journal of Eating Disorders. 2019;7:36.

Effects of basic body awareness therapy on pain, balance, muscle strength and functionality in knee osteoarthritis: a randomised preliminary trial.

Alpay, K., & Sahin, M.

Disabil Rehabil, 1-8.

Therapeutically efficient components of Basic Body Awareness Therapy as perceived by experienced therapists – A qualitative study.

Ambolt, A., Gard, G., Hammarlund, C.S.

Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies 2017;21(3):503-508.

Experiences with basic body awareness therapy as an add-on to cognitive behavioural therapy among Danish military veterans with PTSD: An interview study.

Andersen, M. R., Clausen, A., Sternhagen Nielsen, A. B., & Hjort Svendsen, A. L.

J Bodyw Mov Ther, 27, 550-559.

The concept of "psychosomatic" in general practice. Reflections on body language and a tentative model for understanding

Bengt Mattsson & Monica Mattsson

Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care, 20:3, 135-138

One-year follow-up of body awareness and perceived health after participating in a multimodal pain rehabilitation programme - a pilot study.

Bergström, M., Ejelöv, M., Mattson, M., & Stålnacke, B.-M

European Journal of Physiotherapy, 16, 246-254.

Understanding one's body and movements from the perspective of young adults with autism: A mixed-methods study.

Bertilsson, I., Gyllensten, A. L., Opheim, A., Gard, G., & Sjodahl Hammarlund, C.

Res Dev Disabil, 78, 44-54.

One-year follow-up of basic body awareness therapy in patients with posttraumatic stress disorder. A small intervention study of effects on movement quality, PTSD symptoms, and movement experiences.

Blaauwendraat, C. P. M., Levy Berg, A. P. P., & Gyllensten, A. L. P. P.

Physiother Theory Pract, 33(7), 515-526.

Experiences from group basic body awareness therapy by patients suffering from fibromyalgia: A qualitative study.

Bravo C, Skjaerven LH, Guitard Sein-Echaluce LP, & Catalan-Matamoros D.

Physiother Theory Pract, 36(8), 933-945.

Basic Body Awareness Therapy in patients suffering from fibromyalgia: A randomized clinical trial.

Bravo, C., Skjaerven, L. H., Espart, A., Guitard Sein-Echaluce, L., & Catalan-Matamoros, D.

Physiother Theory Pract, 1-11.

Effectiveness of movement and body awareness therapies in patients with fibromyalgia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Bravo, C., Skjaerven, L. H., Guitard Sein-Echaluce, L., & Catalan-Matamoros, D.

Eur J Phys Rehabil Med, 55(5), 646-657.

"Meeting current needs in mental health physical therapy: a qualitative study of students’ experiences"

Bravo, C., Skjaerven, L.H., Guitard, L., Rubí-Carnacea, F. and Catalan-Matamoros, D.

The Journal of Mental Health Training, Education and Practice, Vol. 17 No. 5, pp. 429-442.

A pilot study on the effect of Basic Body Awareness Therapy in patients with eating disorders: a randomized controlled trial.

Catalan-Matamoros, D., Helvik-Skjaerven, L., Labajos-Manzanares, M. T., Martinez-de-Salazar-Arboleas, A., & Sanchez-Guerrero, E.

Clin Rehabil, 25(7), 617-626.

Work-directed rehabilitation or physical activity to support work ability and mental health in common mental disorders: a pilot randomized controlled trial.

Danielsson L, Waern M, Hensing G, Holmgren K.

Clinical Rehabilitation

Opening toward life: experiences of basic body awareness therapy in persons with major depression.

Danielsson, L., & Rosberg, S.

Int J Qual Stud Health Well-being, 10, 27069.

Exercise or basic body awareness therapy as add-on treatment for major depression: a controlled study.

Danielsson, L., Papoulias, I., Petersson, E. L., Carlsson, J., & Waern, M.

J Affect Disord, 168, 98-106.

The experience of Basic Body Awareness Therapy and its transfer to daily life amongst Danish military veterans with PTSD.

Elton, J., Stage, K., Sternhagen Nielsen, A. B., & Hjort Svendsen, A. L.

J Bodyw Mov Ther, 28, 202-211.

Body awareness therapy: A new strategy for relief of symptoms in irritable bowel syndrome patients.

Eriksson, E., Moeller, R., Soederberg, R., Eriksson, H., & Kurlberg, G.

World Journal of Gastroenterology, 13, 3206-3214.

Effects of Body Awareness Therapy in Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

Eriksson, E., Nordwall, V., Kurlberg, G., Rydholm, H., & Eriksson, A.

Advances in Physiotherapy, 4, 125-135.

EMG trapezius muscle activity pattern in string players: Part II -influences of basic body awareness therapy on the violin playing technique.

Fjellman-Wiklund, A., Grip, J., Karlsson, J., & Sundelin, G.

Industrial Ergonomics, 33, 347-356

Body awareness group therapy for patients with personality disorders. 2. Evaluation of the Body Awareness Rating Scale.

Friis, S., Skatteboe, U. B., Hope, M. K., & Vaglum, P.

Psychother Psychosom, 51(1), 18-24.

Clinical reasoning and clinical use of basic body awareness therapy in physiotherapy – a qualitative study

Gard G, Nyboe L, Gyllensten AL.

European Journal of Physiotherapy, 22:1, 29-35

Body awareness therapy for patients with fibromyalgia and chronic pain.

Gard, G.

Disabil Rehabil, 27(12), 725-728.

To increase physical activity in sedentary patients with affective–or schizophrenia spectrum disorders–a clinical study of adjuvant physical therapy in mental health.

Gyllensten AL, Ovesson MN, Hedlund L, Ambrus L, Tornberg Å.

Nordic Journal of Psychiatry 2019.

Interaction between patient and physiotherapist: a qualitative study reflecting the physiotherapist's perspective.

Gyllensten, A. L., Ekdahl, C., & Hansson, L.

Physiother Res Int, 4(2), 89-109

Outcome of Basic Body Awareness Therapy. A Randomized Controlled Study of Patients in Psychiatric Outpatient Care.

Gyllensten, A. L., Hansson, L., & Ekdahl, C.

Advances in Physiotherapy, 5, 179-190.

Stability limits, single-leg jump, and body awareness in older Tai Chi practitioners.

Gyllensten, A. L., Hui-Chan, C. W., & Tsang, W. W

Arch Phys Med Rehabil, 91(2), 215-220.

Clinician perspectives of Basic Body Awareness Therapy (BBAT) in mental health physical therapy: An international qualitative study.

Gyllensten, A. L., Jacobsen, L. N., & Gard, G.

Physiother Theory Pract, 26(7), 439-446.

Reliability of the Body Awareness Scale-Health.

Gyllensten, A. L., Ovesson, M. N., Lindstrom, I., Hansson, L., & Ekdahl, C.

Scand J Caring Sci, 18(2), 213-219

Embodied identity - a deeper understanding of body awareness.

Gyllensten, A. L., Skar, L., Miller, M., & Gard, G.

Physiother Theory Pract, 26(7), 439-446.

Long-term effectiveness of basic body awareness therapy in psychiatric outpatient care. A randomized controlled study.

Gyllensten, A., Ekdahl, C., & Hansson, L.

Advances in Physiotherapy, 11, 2-12.

Patient experiences of basic body awareness therapy and the relationship with the physiotherapist.

Gyllensten, A., Hansson, L., & Ekdahl, C.

Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, 7, 173-183.

The physiotherapist’s experience of Basic Body Awareness Therapy in patients with schizophrenia and schizophrenia spectrum disorders.

Hedlund L, Gyllensten AL

J Bodyw Mov Ther;17(2):169-76.

The experiences of basic body awareness therapy in patients with schizophrenia.

Hedlund, L., & Gyllensten, A. L.

J Bodyw Mov Ther, 14(3), 245-254.

A psychometric study of the multidimensional fatigue inventory to assess fatigue in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders.

Hedlund, L., Gyllensten, A. L., & Hansson, L.

Community Ment Health J, 51(3), 377-382.

Assessing movement quality in persons with severe mental illness - Reliability and validity of the Body Awareness Scale Movement Quality and Experience.

Hedlund, L., Gyllensten, A. L., Waldegren, T., & Hansson, L.

Physiother Theory Pract, 32(4), 296-306.

Feeling more in balance and grounded in one’s own body and life. Focus group interviews on experiences with Basic Body Awareness Therapy in psychiatric healthcare.

Johnsen, R., & Råheim, M.

Advances in Physiotherapy, 12, 166-174.

Effects of body awareness therapy on balance and fear of falling in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a randomized controlled trial.

Karaca S, Özer AY, Karakurt S, Polat MG.

BioPsychoSocial Medicine

Våga välja vad jag vill–Basal Kroppskännedom och samtal i grupp–ett samarbetsprojekt mellan sjukgymnast och psykolog för patienter med smärt-och spänningssyndrom [Dare to choose what I want: Body Awareness Therapy and group counseling–a collaboration between physiotherapist and psychologist for patients with pain and stress syndromes].

Klingberg-Olsson, K., Lundgren, M., & Lindström, I.

Nordisk Fysioterapi, 4(3), 133-142.

Patients’ experiences of a stress-management programme in primary care.

Köpsén S, Sjöström R.

Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare 2020; 13: 207-216

Long-term continuation treatment after short-term day treatment of female patients with severe personality disorders: Body awareness group therapy versus psychodynamic group therapy.

Leirvåg, H., Pedersen, G., & Karterud, S.

Nordic Journal of Psychiatry, 64(2), 115-122.

Body awareness therapy in persons with stroke: a pilot randomized controlled trial.

Lindvall, M. A., & Forsberg, A

Clinical rehabilitation, 28(12), 1180-1188.

Basic Body Awareness Therapy for patients with stroke: Experiences among participating patients and physiotherapists.

Lindvall, M. A., Anderzen Carlsson, A., & Forsberg, A.

J Bodyw Mov Ther, 20(1), 83-89.

Pain requires processing - How the experience of pain is influenced by Basic Body Awareness Therapy in patients with long-term pain.

Lundwall, A., Ryman, A., Bjarnegard Sellius, A., & Mannerkorpi, K.

J Bodyw Mov Ther, 23(4), 701-707.

Refugee experiences of individual basic body awareness therapy and the level of transference into daily life. An interview study.

Madsen, T. S., Carlsson, J., Nordbrandt, M., & Jensen, J. A.

J Bodyw Mov Ther, 20(2), 243-251

A comparison between three physiotherapy approaches with regard to health-related factors in patients with non-specific musculoskeletal disorders.

Malmgren-Olsson, E. B., & Branholm, I. B.

Disabil Rehabil, 24(6), 308-317.

A comparative outcome study of body awareness therapy, feldenkrais, and conventional physiotherapy for patients with nonspecific musculoskeletal disorders: changes in psychological symptoms, pain, and self-image.

Malmgren-Olsson, E. B., Armelius, B. A., & Armelius, K.

Physiotherapy Theory and Practice, 17(2), 77-95

Physiotherapy as empowerment: treating women with chronic pelvis pain.

Mattson, M., Wikman, M., Dahlgren, L., & Mattson, B.

Advances in Physiotherapy, 2, 125-143.

Body Awareness therapy with sexually abused women. Part 2: evaluation of body awareness in a group setting.

Mattson, M., Wikman, M., Dahlgren, L., Mattson, B., & Armelius, K.

Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, 2, 38-45.

Physiotherapeutic treatment in out‐patient psychiatric care.

Mattsson, M., & Mattsson, B.

Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences, 8(2), 119-126.

Long-term effects of physiotherapeutic treatment in outpatient psychiatric care.

Mattsson, M., Egberg, K., Armelius, K., & Mattsson, B.

Nordic Journal of Psychiatry, 49(2), 103-110

Body awareness therapy with sexually abused women: Part 1: Description of a treatment modality.

Mattsson, M., Wikman, M., Dahlgren, L., Mattsson, B., & Armelius, K.

Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, 1(5), 280-288.

Relationship between depression and movement quality in normal young adults.

Mitsue, S., & Yamamoto, T.

Journal of Physical Therapy Science, 31(10), 819-822.

Trauma-affected refugees treated with basic body awareness therapy or mixed physical activity as augmentation to treatment as usual-A pragmatic randomised controlled trial.

Nordbrandt, M. S., Sonne, C., Mortensen, E. L., & Carlsson, J.

PLoS One, 15(3), e0230300

Bodily symptoms in patients with post traumatic stress disorder: A comparative study of traumatized refugees, Danish war veterans, and healthy controls.

Nyboe, L., Bentholm, A., & Gyllensten, A. L.

J Bodyw Mov Ther, 21(3), 523-527.

Patients suffering from rheumatic disease describing own experiences from participating in Basic Body Awareness Group Therapy: A qualitative pilot study.

Olsen, A. L., & Skjaerven, L. H.

Physiother Theory Pract, 1-9.

Basic Body Awareness Therapy versus standard care in hip osteoarthritis. A randomized controlled trial.

Olsen, A. L., Magnussen, L. H., Skjaerven, L. H., Assmus, J., Sundal, M. A., Furnes, O., Hallan, G., & Strand, L. I.

Physiother Res Int, 27(1), e1930.

Movement quality evaluation and its correlation with recommended functional measures in hip osteoarthritis.

Olsen, A. L., Magnussen, L. H., Skjaerven, L. H., Assmus, J., Sundal, M. A., Ostelo, R., & Strand, L. I.

Physiother Res Int, e1848.

Descriptions of movement experiences in the Body Awareness Rating Scale - Movement Quality and Experience evaluation. A qualitative study of patients diagnosed with hip osteoarthritis.

Olsen, A. L., Strand, L. I., Magnussen, L. H., Sundal, M. A., & Skjaerven, L. H.

Physiother Theory Pract, 1-11.

Patient education and basic body awareness therapy in hip osteoarthritis - a qualitative study of patients' movement learning experiences.

Olsen, A. L., Strand, L. I., Skjaerven, L. H., Sundal, M. A., & Magnussen, L. H.

Disabil Rehabil, 39(16), 1631-1638.

Body Awareness in Movement and Language: Concordance and Disparity.

Ryding, C., Rudebeck, C. E., & Mattson, B.

Advances in Physiotherapy, 6, 158-165.

Qualitative studies on body-based interventions for refugees: a meta-synthesis.

Schaeffer AJ, Cornelius-White JHD.

Body, Movement and Dance in Psychotherapy, 2021;16(4): 267-285.

Basic body awareness therapy or exercise therapy for the treatment of chronic whiplash associated disorders: a randomized comparative clinical trial.

Seferiadis, A., Ohlin, P., Billhult, A., & Gunnarsson, R.

Disabil Rehabil, 38(5), 442-451.

Body awareness group therapy for patients with personality disorders. 1. Description of the therapeutic method.

Skatteboe, U. B., Friis, S., Hope, M. K., & Vaglum, P.

Psychother Psychosom, 51(1), 11-17.

Basic elements and dimensions to the phenomenon of quality of movement – a case study.

Skjaerven, L. H., Gard, G., & Kristoffersen, K

Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, 7(4), 251-260.

Greek sculpture as a tool in understanding the phenomenon of movement quality.

Skjaerven, L. H., Gard, G., & Kristoffersen, K.

Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, 8(3), 227-236.

A vocabulary describing health-terms of movement quality - a phenomenological study of movement communication.

Skjaerven, L. H., Gard, G., Gomez-Conesa, A., & Catalan-Matamoros, D.

Disabil Rehabil, 1-10.

An eye for movement quality: a phenom enological study of movement quality reflecting a group of physiotherapists' understanding of the phenomenon.

Skjaerven, L. H., Kristoffersen, K., & Gard, G.

Physiother Theory Pract, 24(1), 13-27.

How can movement quality be promoted in clinical practice? A phenomenological study of physical therapist experts.

Skjaerven, L. H., Kristoffersen, K., & Gard, G.

Phys Ther, 90(10), 1479-1492.

Reliability and validity of the Body Awareness Rating Scale (BARS), an observational assessment tool of movement quality.

Skjaerven, L., Gard, G., Sundal, M.-A., & Strand, L.

European Journal of Physiotherapy, Early online, 1-10.

Consensus on core phenomena and statements describing Basic Body Awareness Therapy within the movement awareness domain in physiotherapy.

Skjaerven, L., Mattson, M., Catalan-Matamoros, D., Parker, A., Gard, G., & Gyllensten, A

Physiother Theory Pract, 1-14.

“After all the traumas my body has been through, I feel good that it is still working.”–Basic Body Awareness Therapy for traumatised refugees.

Stade, K., Skammeritz, S., Hjortkjær, C., & Carlsson, J.

Torture, 25(1), 33-50.

Can chronic muscular pain be understood?.

Steihaug, S.

Basic Body Awareness Therapy and patient education in hip osteoarthritis: a multiple case study.

Strand, L., Olsen, A., Nygard, H., Furnes, O., Magnussen, L., Lygren, H., Sundal, M.-A., & Skjaerven, L. H.

European Journal of Physiotherapy, 18(2), 116-125.

Challenging perspectives in physiotherapy.

Sundelin, G.

Advances in Physiotherapy, 11(1), 1-1.

Analyzing Movements Development and Evaluation of the Body Awareness Scale Movement Quality (BAS MQ).

Sunden, A., Ekdahl, C., Horstman, V., & Gyllensten, A. L.

Physiother Res Int.

Rating body awareness in persons suffering from eating disorders – A cross-sectional study.

Thörnborg, U., & Mattson, M.

Advances in Physiotherapy, 12, 24-34.

A systematic review of physical therapy interventions for patients with anorexia and bulemia nervosa.

Vancampfort D, Vanderlinden J, De Hert M, Soundy A, Adámkova M, Skjaerven LH, Catalán-Matamoros D, Lundvik Gyllensten A, Gómez-Conesa A, Probst M.

Disabil Rehabil. 36; 8: 628-34.

Effectiveness of basic body awareness therapy in adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis: A randomized controlled study.

Yagci, G., Ayhan, C., & Yakut, Y.

Journal of back and Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation, 31(4), 693-701.

Body awareness and its relation to quality of life in individuals with idiopathic scoliosis.

Yagci, G., Karatel, M., & Yakut, Y.

Perceptual and Motor Skills, 127(5), 841-857.

The effects of exercise on perception of verticality in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

Yagci, G., Yakut, Y., & Simsek, E.

Physiotherapy theory and practice, 34(8), 579-588.

The impact of Basic Body Awareness Therapy on balance confidence and health-related quality of life in hunger strike victims with Wernicke Korsakoff Syndrome: pilot study.

Yüce, H., & Bahrilli, T.

Torture Journal, 30(2), 58-88.

Anxiety management: Participants’ experiences of a physiotherapeutic group treatment in Swedish psychiatric outpatient care.

Ölund, H., Danielsson, L., & Rosberg, S.

Physiotherapy Theory and Practice.