Posttraumatic Stress, Heart Rate Variability, and the Mediating Role of Behavioral Health Risks

Conclusions: These results indicate that behavioral factors—specifically smoking, alcohol overuse, and sleep disturbance—mediate the association between PTSD and HRV-based indices of autonomic nervous system dysregulation. Benefits from psychiatric and psychological interventions in PTSD may therefore be enhanced by including modification of health behaviors.
Source: Psychosomatic Medicine - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research