Increasing Stress Resilience in Difficult Times: Integrating Proven Practices from Biofeedback and Psychotherapy

Steffen, Patrick R.; Bartlett, Derek

doi:10.1177/23727322221118936

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…Along with mechanisms of action, Steffen and Bartlett gathered information from empirically supported interventions addressing stress resilience in both biofeedback and psychotherapy and so, pointing to three specific mechanisms or, what they call practices, to build stress resilience as being: balancing of life demands with equanimity, awareness leading to the reduction of worry, and engaging in flexible coping skills [51]. In connection with acceptance training, they include acceptance as an important component for awareness to reduce worry [16,50].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Measuring the Effectiveness of a Multicomponent Program to Manage Academic Stress through a Resilience to Stress Index

Figueroa

Ayala

Trejo

et al. 2023

Sensors

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In this work, we evaluate the effectiveness of a multicomponent program that includes psychoeducation in academic stress, mindfulness training, and biofeedback-assisted mindfulness, while enhancing the Resilience to Stress Index (RSI) of students through the control of autonomic recovery from psychological stress. Participants are university students enrolled in a program of excellence and are granted an academic scholarship. The dataset consists of an intentional sample of 38 undergraduate students with high academic performance, 71% (27) women, 29% (11) men, and 0% (0) non-binary, with an average age of 20 years. The group belongs to the “Leaders of Tomorrow” scholarship program from Tecnológico de Monterrey University, in Mexico. The program is structured in 16 individual sessions during an eight-week period, divided into three phases: pre-test evaluation, training program, and post-test evaluation. During the evaluation test, an assessment of the psychophysiological stress profile is performed while the participants undergo a stress test; it includes simultaneous recording of skin conductance, breathing rate, blood volume pulse, heart rate, and heart rate variability. Based on the pre-test and post-test psychophysiological variables, an RSI is computed under the assumption that changes in physiological signals due to stress can be compared against a calibration stage. The results show that approximately 66% of the participants improved their academic stress management after the multicomponent intervention program. A Welch’s t-test showed a difference in mean RSI scores (t = −2.30, p = 0.025) between the pre-test and post-test phases. Our findings show that the multicomponent program promoted positive changes in the RSI and in the management of the psychophysiological responses to academic stress.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Measuring the Effectiveness of a Multicomponent Program to Manage Academic Stress through a Resilience to Stress Index

Figueroa

Ayala

Trejo

et al. 2023

Sensors

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“…Higher HRV is associated with better adaptability and health and lower HRV is associated with worse adaptability and health. Because both HRV biofeedback and mindfulness effectively increase HRV they are being used more frequently in stress interventions (Steffen et al, 2017 ; Steffen and Bartlett, 2022 ).…”

Section: Integrating Current Psychophysiological Research Findings In...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Using the Research Domain Criteria as a framework to integrate psychophysiological findings into stress management and psychotherapy interventions

Steffen

2023

Front. Neuroergonomics

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Research on the psychophysiology of stress is expanding rapidly, but the field lacks a clear integrative framework to help translate research findings into empirically supported stress interventions. The Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) is an excellent candidate to explore as a framework to integrate stress research. The RDoC framework is a dimensional, multi-modal approach to psychopathology proposed as an alternative to categorical approaches used by the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM). The goal of this paper is to explore the RDoC as a framework to integrate psychophysiology research into therapeutic interventions for stress. The RDoC consists of six domains: negative valence systems, positive valence systems, cognitive systems, social processes systems, arousal/regulatory systems, and sensorimotor systems, and provides an excellent structure for integrating information from multiple levels of functioning including physiology, behavior, and self-report, as well as genes, molecules, cells, and brain circuits. Integrating psychophysiological research on stress using the RDoC framework can direct and amplify stress management and psychotherapeutic interventions. First, the RDoC provides a clear foundation for conceptualizing the stress response in terms of important concepts such as allostasis and adaptation. In this perspective, the terms “allostatic response” or “adaptation response” are more descriptive terms than “stress response” in understanding bodily responses to life threats and challenges. Second, psychophysiological approaches can be used in the context of modalities such as biofeedback and mindfulness to both collect psychophysiological data and then integrate that data into a broader therapeutic framework. Heart rate variability (HRV) biofeedback is being used more frequently as part of a therapeutic intervention package with stress management and psychotherapy, and HRV data is also used to provide outcome evidence on the efficacy of treatment. Mindfulness practices are commonly used in combination with stress management and psychotherapy, and psychophysiological data (HRV, EEG, blood pressure, etc.) is often collected to explore and understand mind/body relationships. In conclusion, the lack of a clear framework to assess and understand mind/body functioning limits current stress research and interventions. The RDoC provides a strong framework to assess and integrate physiological and psychological data and improve stress interventions.

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Can HRV Biofeedback Training Improve the Mental Resilience of Icelandic Police Officers?

Sveinsdóttir,

Lehrer,

Jóhannsdóttir

2024

Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback

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Increasing Stress Resilience in Difficult Times: Integrating Proven Practices from Biofeedback and Psychotherapy

Cited by 3 publications

References 50 publications

Measuring the Effectiveness of a Multicomponent Program to Manage Academic Stress through a Resilience to Stress Index

Measuring the Effectiveness of a Multicomponent Program to Manage Academic Stress through a Resilience to Stress Index

Using the Research Domain Criteria as a framework to integrate psychophysiological findings into stress management and psychotherapy interventions

Can HRV Biofeedback Training Improve the Mental Resilience of Icelandic Police Officers?

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