The relationship between depression severity and heart rate variability in children and adolescents: A meta-analysis

Abstract

Objective: Depression in children and adolescents has gradually attracted social attention. Heart rate variability (HRV) has been found to be influenced by depression severity, but results have not been uniformed in children and adolescents. This study investigated the relationship between depression severity and heart rate variability in children and adolescents, aiming to provide additional evidence for an objective, effective, and convenient depression screening tool in this population.

Methods: Literature searching was conducted in China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Data, Web of Science, PubMed, ScienceDirect, and EBSCO. Relevant studies investigating the relationship between depression severity and HRV in children and adolescents were selected for meta-analysis.

Results: 31 articles were included in this meta-analysis, involving 4534 participants. Depression severity in children and adolescents was significantly negatively correlated with high frequency (HF) and root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD) in HRV (HF: r = -0.10, 95% CI: -0.17 to -0.04, p = 0.001; RMSSD: r = -0.18, 95% CI: -0.30 to -0.05, p = 0.01). The relationship between HF and depression severity was moderated by age, higher among those aged >12 than among those aged <12 (r = -0.17, -0.02, Q = 7.32, p = 0.007).

Conclusion: Heart rate variability is associated with depression severity in children and adolescents.

Keywords: Children and adolescents; Depression; Heart rate variability; Meta-analysis.