Description Module
The Description Module contains narrative descriptions of the clinical trial, including a brief summary and detailed description. These descriptions provide important information about the study's purpose, methodology, and key details in language accessible to both researchers and the general public.
Description Module path is as follows:
Study -> Protocol Section -> Description Module
Description Module
Ignite Creation Date:
2026-03-26 @ 3:17 PM
Ignite Modification Date:
2026-03-26 @ 3:17 PM
NCT ID:
NCT07386951
Brief Summary:
This exploratory study evaluates the effectiveness of a 12-session Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback (HRV-BFB) protocol in reducing distress and burnout while promoting psychological well-being among Portuguese National Republican Guard (GNR) professionals. Exposed to high occupational stress from unpredictable risks, shift work, and limited resources, these individuals face elevated vulnerability to chronic stress outcomes. The intervention leverages real-time HRV feedback to enhance autonomic regulation, breathing techniques, and emotional self-regulation.
Detailed Description:
Security forces like the GNR play a critical role in public safety but endure chronic stress from violence exposure, rapid decisions, shift rotations, and institutional resource shortages, heightening risks of distress, burnout, and impaired well-being. Distress arises when perceived threats exceed coping resources, leading to persistent negative emotions and health disruptions. Burnout manifests as exhaustion, mental distancing, and reduced efficacy from unmanaged chronic stress, with organizational impacts including absenteeism and eroded public trust. Psychological well-being encompasses multidimensional aspects like autonomy, relationships, and purpose beyond mere absence of illness. Traditional interventions face barriers such as stigma and access issues in rural GNR contexts, necessitating flexible, self-administered tools.
Intervention: HRV-BFB Protocol HRV-BFB trains participants to consciously modulate physiological responses via real-time monitoring of heart rate variability (HRV), reflecting sympathetic-parasympathetic balance. Low HRV links to mental health risks, while training targets resonance frequency breathing (\~6 breaths/min or 0.1 Hz) to boost HRV amplitude, cardiac coherence, and baroreflex strength. Delivered autonomously via app post-initial guidance, the 12-session protocol requires no daily clinician oversight, enhancing accessibility for dispersed GNR personnel. Evidence shows HRV-BFB reduces stress, anxiety, depression, and burnout while fostering well-being in high-stress groups like emergency workers.
Study Objectives This exploratory trial tests whether HRV-BFB significantly lowers distress (multidimensional: physical, cognitive, emotional, behavioral), burnout levels, and boosts psychological well-being in GNR professionals. It aims to inform scalable interventions tailored to Portuguese police realities, addressing gaps in institutional support.
Study:
NCT07386951
Study Brief:
Protocol Section:
NCT07386951