Heart Rate Variability as a Correlate of Trauma Symptom Expression,Psychological Well-Being,and Emotion Regulation in African Americans With Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between heart rate variability, trauma symptom expression, and psychological distress in a sample (N = 28) of African Americans with traumatic spinal cord injury. Participants’ heart rate (R-R interval) was recorded at baseline, during a mental arithmetic task, and then again at recovery. Heart rate variability was indexed as the root mean square of successive difference (rMSSD) of participants’ R-R interval. Following this procedure, participants were administered a battery of surveys to assess levels of trauma and psychological distress. Findings indicated that there was a statistically significant relationship between heart rate variability, trauma symptoms, and psychological distress. Implications of the study’s findings are discussed in the context of future research and clinical interventions.