Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39513426›Full record

Trial reportStress and health : journal of the International Society for the Investigation of Stress2024

Addressing Mental Health Symptoms Among COVID-19 Healthcare Workers: A Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback Pilot Study.

Darlene Lee, Ashwini Erande, Georgia Christodoulou, Shaista Malik

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Stress and health : journal of the International Society for the Investigation of Stress, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
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

3 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Review
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

4 authors.

Darlene LeeSusan Samueli Integrative Health Institute, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, California, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8470-2573
Ashwini ErandeSusan Samueli Integrative Health Institute, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, California, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0009-2093-8876
Georgia ChristodoulouSusan Samueli Integrative Health Institute, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, California, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0000-7583-0824
Shaista MalikSusan Samueli Integrative Health Institute, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, California, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8040-0391

Funding

Neuroimmune mechanisms underlying electroacupuncture effect on vascular functionR01AT011306 · NCCIH · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-IRVINE · PI MALIK, SHAISTA, TJEN-A-LOOI, STEPHANIE CHEE-YEE · 2021 to 2025
$3.1M
NCCIH NIH HHS R01 AT011306School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Psychological stress among frontline healthcare workers (HCWs) increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, elevating mental health risks. Heart rate variability biofeedback (HRV-BF) is an evidence-based intervention with potential to reduce psychological burden on frontline HCWs; however, no studies have examined its use among this population since the pandemic began. We designed a trial to assess the effects of a brief HRV-BF intervention delivered via telemedicine on measures of anxiety, depression and stress, and heart rate variability, compared to an in-person intervention. We hypothesised that the telemedicine intervention would be non-inferior to the in-person intervention. Using a randomized comparison trial design, we tested a 10-day brief heart rate variability biofeedback intervention among frontline HCWs during the COVID-19 pandemic. They received remote, 30-min guided sessions every other day and were taught methods of heart rate variability biofeedback. Depression, anxiety and stress were assessed at baseline, 10 days, and 40 days with additional measures of anxiety measured before and after each session. HRV scores were collected at baseline, as well as during the course of the 10 days. Multilevel modelling was used to examine the change in depression, anxiety, stress and HRV scores across multiple time points and session types (telemedicine vs. in-person). There was no significant differences between telemedicine (n = 32) and in-person (n = 15) interventions on the main outcomes. Both session types showed a significant decrease in depression, anxiety and stress scores across the entire intervention, and HRV scores significantly increased across both groups. Anxiety levels also significantly decreased after each session. The non-inferiority of the telemedicine intervention to a comparable in-person intervention affirms its promise for decreasing anxiety, depression and stress among frontline HCWs and may offer a cost-effective and feasible tool to use in crises situations.

Indexed as

AnxietyBiofeedback, PsychologyCOVID-19DepressionHealth PersonnelHeart RateTelemedicineAdultFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPilot ProjectsSARS-CoV-2Stress, Psychologicalautonomic nervous systembiofeedbackhealth personnelpsychologicalpsychologystress

Identifiers

PMID39513426
PMCPMC11636445

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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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.