Impact of Electrical Stimulation on Mental Stress, Depression, and Anxiety: A Systematic Review

Individuals experiencing high levels of stress face significant impacts on their overall well-being and quality of life. Electrical stimulation techniques have emerged as promising interventions to address mental stress, depression, and anxiety. This systematic review investigates the impact of different electrical stimulation approaches on these types of disorders. The review synthesizes data from 30 studies, revealing promising findings and identifying several research gaps and challenges. The results indicate that electrical stimulation has the potential to alleviate symptoms of anxiety, depression, and tension, although the degree of efficacy varies among different patient populations and modalities. Nevertheless, the findings also underscore the necessity of standardized protocols and additional research to ascertain the most effective treatment parameters. There is also a need for integrated methodologies that combine hybrid EEG-fNIRS techniques with stress induction paradigms, the exploration of alternative stimulation modalities beyond tDCS, and the investigation of the combined effects of stimulation on stress. Despite these challenges, the growing body of evidence underscores the potential of electrical stimulation as a valuable tool to manage mental stress, depression, and anxiety, paving the way for future advancements in this field.