Heart rate variability in junior high school students with depression and anxiety in Taiwan

The impact of depression and anxiety on heart rate variability (HRV) is not clear in adolescents. We hypothesised that HRV investigation in adolescents may early prevent the mental diseases occurrence.

Three hundred and thirty-three seventh grade students participated in this study programme. HRV instrumental analysis and spectral with scale of depression were measured respectively.

It showed that among the participants, the depression score of female was higher than male. The population with lower depression score present with lower high frequency and higher low frequency/high frequency ratio but not statistically significant. Oppositely, participants with higher depression score were increased with heart rate and present with lower standard deviation of heart rate. However, it is also not statistically significant.

This study supported the positive relation between HRV and depression, especially in the female gender. Therefore, HRV in depression may be beneficial in the detection and prevention of mental disorder development, even suicide behaviour in teenagers.