Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32939617›Full record

ArticleApplied psychophysiology and biofeedback2021

Impact of a 12-Week Group-Based Compassion Focused Therapy Intervention on Heart Rate Variability.

Patrick R Steffen, Jennifer Foxx, Kara Cattani, Cameron Alldredge, Tara Austin, Gary M Burlingame

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in Applied psychophysiology and biofeedback, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
14citing papers in PubMed
2.8field-weighted citation impact, top 8% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

14 citing papers in PubMed, 36 citations in OpenAlex.

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  7. In Honor of Evgeny Vaschillo: His Impact on My Research and Career.Applied psychophysiology and biofeedback · 2022
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Patrick R SteffenBrigham Young University, 284 TLRB, Provo, UT, 84604, USA. steffen@byu.edu.ORCID 0000-0002-3647-0456
Jennifer FoxxBrigham Young University, 284 TLRB, Provo, UT, 84604, USA.
Kara CattaniBrigham Young University, 284 TLRB, Provo, UT, 84604, USA.
Cameron AlldredgeBrigham Young University, 284 TLRB, Provo, UT, 84604, USA.
Tara AustinBrigham Young University, 284 TLRB, Provo, UT, 84604, USA.
Gary M BurlingameBrigham Young University, 284 TLRB, Provo, UT, 84604, USA.
Brigham Young University · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Heart rate variability (HRV) is considered an index of self-regulatory capacity, and trait compassion predicts healthy HRV and self-regulation. Compassion focused psychotherapy interventions have been shown to increase levels of compassion in the general population but no studies to date have examined if these interventions also increase HRV in a distressed clinical sample. The present study examined whether a 12-week compassion focused therapy intervention administered in group format would improve resting HRV and impact HRV reactivity during self-critical writing and self-compassion writing tasks administered before and after the intervention. A total of 31 participants in a university counseling center completed the intervention and HRV assessments. Resting HRV did not significantly change over the course of the intervention in the overall sample. Only those who showed a reliable increase in self-compassion also had a significant increase in resting HRV post-intervention. Additionally, the self-critical writing task was associated with a significant decrease in HRV, with HRV staying low during self-compassionate writing and then significantly increasing during recovery. Reliable change in self-compassion predicted increased HRV reactivity to self-critical and self-compassion writing tasks following the intervention, indicating greater engagement with the task. Findings support the idea that increased self-compassion increases HRV reactivity and potentially strengthens ability to engage with difficult emotions in psychotherapy.

Indexed as

Psychotherapy, GroupSelf-ControlWritingAdultEmpathyFemaleHeart RateHumansMaleUniversitiesYoung AdultCompassionGroup therapyHeart rate variabilityReactivityStress

Identifiers

PMID32939617
OpenAlexW3087088481

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.