Key result
Lower heart rate variability is linked to worse stress coping, fully mediated by depression severity.
Why the study?
Underlying maladaptive autonomic nervous system regulation affects emotional and cognitive processes, prompting investigation into the relationship among heart rate variability, coping strategies, executive function, and inhibition in individuals with psychiatric disorders.
Does heart rate variability correlate with stress coping strategies and cognitive inhibition in individuals with psychiatric disorders?
Cross-Sectional (n=97)
No
Does heart rate variability correlate with stress coping strategies and cognitive inhibition in individuals with psychiatric disorders?
In psychiatric patients, reduced heart rate variability is associated with maladaptive stress coping mechanisms, a relationship that is primarily driven by the severity of depressive symptoms.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Depression mediates HRV-negative coping links in psychiatric patients; hypothesis-generating, should not yet change clinical assessment.
Depression is one of the most severe psychiatric disorders and affects patients on emotional, physical, and cognitive levels. Comorbid somatic conditions, such as cardiovascular diseases, are frequent and affect the quality of life, as well as mortality. Underlying maladaptive autonomic nervous system regulation influences emotional and cognitive processes. This study, thus, aimed to investigate the relationship among heart rate variability (HRV), self-reported coping strategies, executive function, and inhibition in individuals with psychiatric disorders. Data of 97 patients treated in a multi-professional psychiatric rehabilitation center for 6 weeks were analyzed. Subjects underwent psychological tests (Stress Coping Style Questionnaire, Emotional Competence Questionnaire, and Becks Depression Inventory-II), a cognitive test (Color-Word Interference Test), and a 24 h electrocardiogram to record HRV. Patients with higher depression scores had significantly lower HRVs and decreased self-reported abilities for stress coping. Depression severity did not affect cognitive inhibitory abilities. HRV was related to neither coping strategies nor cognitive inhibition abilities. However, lower HRV was related to higher values of Negative Stress Coping (β = −0.21, p < 0.05). This relationship was fully mediated by depression severity (−4.79, 95% CI: −8.72, −0.72). HRV is not related to quantitative cognitive inhibition, but to the self-reported ability to cope with negative emotions in individuals with psychiatric disorders.
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Lenger et al. (2022) conducted a cross-sectional in Psychiatric disorders with depressive symptoms (n=97). Lower Heart Rate Variability (HRV) was evaluated on Negative Stress Coping (SVF 78 subscale) (indirect effect -4.79 (fully mediated by depression severity), 95% CI -8.72 to -0.72, p=<0.05). Lower heart rate variability was related to higher usage of negative stress coping strategies, a relationship that was fully mediated by the severity of depression.
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