Combining Biofeedback with Stress Management Interventions: A Systematic Review of Physiological and Psychological Effects

Current mental healthcare systems experience difficulties meeting the challenges of a growing population with elevatedstress symptoms. Outpatient stress management interventions have already proven to be effective in routine care and recenttechnological advances now allow to expand such interventions, for example by adding a physiological component likebiofeedback. Adding biofeedback to stress management interventions appears promising, but there is a lack of insight intothe general conceptualization and evaluation of the resulting interventions, both in relation to psychological and physiologicalstress indicators. A comprehensive literature search was performed to investigate stress management interventionswith a biofeedback component. This systematic review provides an overview of these interventions and explores to whatextent they can improve both physiological and psychological indicators of stress. Fourteen RCTs were included. A largediversity was observed in intervention design and effectiveness. Nevertheless, there is preliminary evidence that the use ofbiofeedback can improve both physiological and psychological indicators of stress. Biofeedback could provide an accessibleand low-cost addition to stress interventions. Further research into the effectiveness of different components of biofeedbackinterventions is needed.

Publication year:2019