Éva Gál

2 papers in the library · 3 citations · publishing 2020-2025

Papers

Effect of Brief Mindfulness Meditation Interventions on Heart Rate Variability in Adults: A Systematic Review.

Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback July 26, 2025 Alexis Barbry, Éva Gál, Annie Carton et al. 3 citations

A systematic review of seven studies examined whether brief mindfulness meditation (BMM) affects heart rate variability (HRV), a measure of physiological stress. Three studies with 120 participants found that BMM is associated with an increase in RMSSD, a time-domain HRV index linked to parasympathetic activity. Two studies reported an increase in the LF/HF ratio, but the evidence quality was low. The results suggest that RMSSD may increase in the short term during or after BMM, indicating that BMM might be a promising psychological intervention to temporarily reduce physiological stress. The review notes high heterogeneity among studies as a limitation and calls for future randomized controlled trials measuring long-term effects.

DOI: 10.1007/s10484-025-09724-y Full text Heart rate Physiological stress Psychological interventions Rmssd +1

The efficacy of mindfulness meditation apps in enhancing users' well-being and mental health related outcomes: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Journal of Affective Disorders October 7, 2020 Éva Gál, Simona Stefan, I. Cristea

A meta-analysis of 34 randomized controlled trials (7566 participants) found that mindfulness meditation apps significantly reduce perceived stress, anxiety, and depression and improve psychological well-being at post-test compared to control conditions. No significant effects were found for distress or general well-being. The authors caution that results should be interpreted carefully due to the small number of included studies, uncertain risk of bias, and heterogeneity.

DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2020.09.134 Medicine Psychology