Summary
A comprehensive meta-analysis confirms that depression is consistently associated with reduced HRV, with moderate effect sizes. This relationship holds across age groups and is bidirectional—low HRV may predict depression onset, and depression further reduces HRV.
Methods
Meta-analysis of 50+ studies on depression and HRV
Key Findings
- Depressed individuals show significantly lower RMSSD and HF power
- Effect size moderate (Cohen's d ≈ 0.4-0.5)
- Bidirectional relationship: each predicts the other
- Antidepressant treatment often improves HRV
- HRV biofeedback shows medium effect size for depression
Limitations
Heterogeneous populations and depression measures
What This Means for You
Depression and low HRV often co-occur. If you're struggling with depression, HRV tracking can provide objective feedback on recovery. HRV biofeedback may complement other depression treatments.
Source
Read the original paper in Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback ↗
Added to HRV Zone: 2025-01-10