IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v18y2021i7p3329-d522935.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Neurophysiological Approach by Self-Control of Your Stress-Related Autonomic Nervous System with Depression, Stress and Anxiety Patients

Author

Listed:
  • Kees Blase

    (National Centre Stress Management, Innovational and Educational Centre HartFocus, 1231 NC78 Loosdrecht, The Netherlands)

  • Eric Vermetten

    (Department Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands)

  • Paul Lehrer

    (Rutgers Medical School, Rutgers University, Monmouth Junction, NJ 08852, USA)

  • Richard Gevirtz

    (California School of Professional Psychology, Alliant International University, San Diego, CA 92131, USA)

Abstract

Background: Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback (HRVB) is a treatment in which patients learn self-regulation of a physiological dysregulated vagal nerve function. While the therapeutic approach of HRVB is promising for a variety of disorders, it has not yet been regularly offered in a mental health treatment setting. Aim: To provide a systematic review about the efficacy of HRV-Biofeedback in treatment of anxiety, depression, and stress related disorders. Method: Systematic review in PubMed and Web of Science in 2020 with terms HRV, biofeedback, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression, panic disorder, and anxiety disorder. Selection, critical appraisal, and description of the Random Controlled Trials (RCT) studies. Combined with recent meta-analyses. Results: The search resulted in a total of 881 studies. After critical appraisal, nine RCTs have been selected as well as two other relevant studies. The RCTs with control groups treatment as usual, muscle relaxation training and a “placebo“-biofeedback instrument revealed significant clinical efficacy and better results compared with control conditions, mostly significant. In the depression studies average reduction at the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) scale was 64% (HRVB plus Treatment as Usual (TAU) versus 25% (control group with TAU) and 30% reduction (HRVB) at the PSQ scale versus 7% (control group with TAU). In the PTSD studies average reduction at the BDI-scale was 53% (HRV plus TAU) versus 24% (control group with TAU) and 22% (HRVB) versus 10% (TAU) with the PTSD Checklist (PCL). In other systematic reviews significant effects have been shown for HRV-Biofeedback in treatment of asthma, coronary artery disease, sleeping disorders, postpartum depression and stress and anxiety. Conclusion: This systematic review shows significant improvement of the non-invasive HRVB training in stress related disorders like PTSD, depression, and panic disorder, in particular when combined with cognitive behavioral therapy or different TAU. Effects were visible after four weeks of training, but clinical practice in a longer daily self-treatment of eight weeks is more promising. More research to integrate HRVB in treatment of stress related disorders in psychiatry is warranted, as well as research focused on the neurophysiological mechanisms.

Suggested Citation

  • Kees Blase & Eric Vermetten & Paul Lehrer & Richard Gevirtz, 2021. "Neurophysiological Approach by Self-Control of Your Stress-Related Autonomic Nervous System with Depression, Stress and Anxiety Patients," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(7), pages 1-14, March.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:7:p:3329-:d:522935
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/7/3329/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/7/3329/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Judith Esi van der Zwan & Anja C. Huizink & Paul M. Lehrer & Hans M. Koot & Wieke de Vente, 2019. "The Effect of Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback Training on Mental Health of Pregnant and Non-Pregnant Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(6), pages 1-15, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Renata Markiewicz & Agnieszka Markiewicz-Gospodarek & Beata Dobrowolska, 2022. "Galvanic Skin Response Features in Psychiatry and Mental Disorders: A Narrative Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(20), pages 1-12, October.
    2. Won Ju Hwang & Mi Jeong Kim, 2022. "Toward Public Health Wellness: Psychosocial & Physical Health in the Community," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(9), pages 1-4, April.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Aitor Aritzeta & Ainara Aranberri-Ruiz & Goretti Soroa & Rosa Mindeguia & Amaiur Olarza, 2022. "Emotional Self-Regulation in Primary Education: A Heart Rate-Variability Biofeedback Intervention Programme," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(9), pages 1-14, April.
    2. Laura S. Bleker & Susanne R. de Rooij & Tessa J. Roseboom, 2019. "Prenatal Psychological Stress Exposure and Neurodevelopment and Health of Children," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(19), pages 1-5, September.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:7:p:3329-:d:522935. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.