Comparing Effectiveness of HRV-Biofeedback and Mindfulness for Workplace Stress Reduction: A Randomized Controlled...

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Psychophysiology
• Behavioral Medicine

Background:

• Work-related stress leads to significant health system costs, necessitating accessible interventions.
• Heart rate variability-biofeedback (HRV-Bfb) and mindfulness-based interventions (MBI) are known stress-reduction techniques.
• Comparing HRV-Bfb and MBI in a corporate setting is crucial for effective stress management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the efficacy of HRV-Bfb and MBI against a wait-list-control (WLC) for reducing work-related stress.
• To assess psychophysiological and symptom-related outcomes in employees undergoing stress interventions.
• To evaluate the long-term effects of these interventions at a 12-week follow-up.

Main Methods:

• A three-armed randomized controlled trial (RCT) involving 69 healthy employees.
• Intervention groups received daily HRV-Bfb or MBI for 6 weeks.
• Outcome measures included stress perception, coping, HRV, cortisol, depressive symptoms, well-being, mindfulness, and self-compassion.

Main Results:

• No statistically significant differences were found between HRV-Bfb, MBI, and WLC groups.
• All groups showed overall stress reduction, with small to medium effect sizes.
• Effect sizes suggested MBI might offer a slightly stronger stress reduction effect than HRV-Bfb.

Conclusions:

• HRV-Bfb and MBI did not demonstrate statistically superior stress reduction compared to a WLC in this study.
• Individuals with higher baseline stress may experience greater benefits from these interventions.
• Implementation challenges exist for corporate health management programs utilizing these stress-reduction techniques.