Exploring the Effects of a Brief Biofeedback Breathing Session Delivered Through the BioBase App in Facilitating Employee Stress Recovery: Randomized Experimental Study.
Olga Chelidoni, David Plans, Sonia Ponzo, Davide Morelli, Mark Cropley
JMIR mHealth and uHealth October 15, 2020 DOI: 10.2196/19412 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 75 |
| Population | Full-time employees |
| Interventions | App-based breathing (BioBase) Mindfulness body scan |
| Duration | 5-minute recovery period; 5-minute baseline and stress-induction recordings |
| Measures | Interbeat (RR) intervals, root mean square of successive RR interval differences (RMSSD), percentage of successive RR intervals differing by >50 ms (pNN50), high frequency (HF), subjective tension |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Humans Biofeedback, psychology Mobile applications Stress Recovery Mobile phone Breathing Heart rate variability Smartphone |
| Key findings | After stress induction lowered HRV and raised subjective tension, a 5-minute app-based breathing recovery period produced significantly higher HRV than a mindfulness body scan or control condition on several measures (RMSSD, pNN50, and high frequency). The authors conclude that brief digitally delivered biofeedback breathing can facilitate stress recovery among employees. |
Abstract
Background: Recovery from stress is a predictive factor for cardiovascular health, and heart rate variability (HRV) is suggested to be an index of how well people physiologically recover from stress. Biofeedback and mindfulness interventions that include guided breathing have been shown to be effective in increasing HRV and facilitating stress recovery.
Objective: This study aims to assess the effectiveness of a brief app-based breathing intervention (BioBase) in enhancing physiological recovery among employees who were induced to cognitive and emotional stress.
Methods: In total, we recruited 75 full-time employees. Interbeat (RR) intervals were recorded continuously for 5 min at baseline and during cognitive and emotional stress induction. The session ended with a 5-min recovery period during which participants were randomly allocated into 3 conditions: app-based breathing (BioBase), mindfulness body scan, or control. Subjective tension was assessed at the end of each period.
Results: Subjective tension significantly increased following stress induction. HRV significantly decreased following the stress period. In the recovery phase, the root mean square of successive RR interval differences (P=.002), the percentage of successive RR intervals that differed by >50 ms (P=.008), and high frequency (P=.01) were significantly higher in the BioBase breathing condition than in the mindfulness body scan and the control groups.
Conclusions: Biofeedback breathing interventions digitally delivered through a commercially available app can be effective in facilitating stress recovery among employees. These findings contribute to the mobile health literature on the beneficial effects of brief app-based breathing interventions on employees' cardiovascular health.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Healthy employees in a work environment | 2003 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 41 |
| Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2000 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 145 |
| Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Working adults | 2008 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 139 |
| Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Undergraduate Chinese students | 2007 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 40 |
| Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2004 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 73 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 5
- Effect of a single session of yoga and meditation on stress reactivity: A systematic review. Stress and Health June 1, 2024
- Mapping the evidence on the effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions as a stress recovery strategy in the workplace: a scoping review Cogent Psychology February 17, 2026
- Human-Computer Co-Regulation: A Review of Biofeedback for Meditative Practice Proceedings of the ACM on Interactive Mobile Wearable and Ubiquitous Technologies September 30, 2026
- Breathing Inward: A Targeted-heat Wearable Designed to Deepen the Benefits of Diaphragmatic Breathing International Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems April 13, 2026
- Cutting-Edge Technologies in Breathwork for Learning Disabilities in Special Education Technium Social Sciences Journal August 8, 2022
Cites 8
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- Physical Activity, Mindfulness Meditation, or Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback for Stress Reduction: A Randomized Controlled Trial Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback June 25, 2015
- Mindfulness as Self-Regulated Attention Swiss Journal of Psychology 2012
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- A RCT Comparing Daily Mindfulness Meditations, Biofeedback Exercises, and Daily Physical Exercise on Attention Control, Executive Functioning, Mindful Awareness, Self-Compassion, and Worrying in Stressed Young Adults. Mindfulness July 2, 2016
and 3 more in the library