Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback as a Treatment for Military PTSD: A Meta-Analysis.

Area of Science:

• Psychological Interventions
• Clinical Psychology
• Military Mental Health

Background:

• Heart rate variability biofeedback (HRVB) is emerging as a potential treatment for psychological disorders.
• Meta-analyses support HRVB for anxiety, depression, and PTSD.
• Military veterans experience high PTSD rates, with traditional treatments showing limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of HRVB in reducing PTSD symptoms in military populations.
• To address limitations of small sample sizes in previous HRVB studies for veterans.
• To provide a comprehensive meta-analysis of existing literature on HRVB for military PTSD.

Main Methods:

• A systematic meta-analysis was conducted following PRISMA guidelines.
• The study protocol was registered with PROSPERO for transparency.
• Literature searches were performed across multiple databases including PubMed, PsycINFO, and others.

Main Results:

• Five studies with 95 military service members were included.
• HRVB demonstrated a moderate to large effect size (Hedges's g = -0.557) in reducing PTSD symptoms.
• Cumulative attrition was low at 5.8%, compared to 16%-36% for other treatments.

Conclusions:

• HRVB is a viable treatment for reducing PTSD symptoms in military personnel.
• Low attrition rates, accessibility, and positive participant outlook are key benefits.
• This is the first meta-analysis specifically examining HRVB for PTSD in military service members.