La Variabilidad del Ritmo Cardíaco en Reposo como Sustrato Fisiológico para Comprender la Regulación Emocional en Adultos Sanos

The ability to regulate emotions is relevant to well-being, whereas the inability to adjust physiological systems in response to environmental demands is associated with the development and maintenance of psychopathology. Numerous studies demonstrate that Heart Rate Variability (HRV) is a psychophysiological marker of vagal regulation, which is reflected in psychological functioning indices. We recruited 201 volunteers: male and female undergraduate students (aged 18-29 years). Emotional regulation difficulties were measured with the Difficulties in Emotional Regulation Scale (DERS-E); psychological functioning, with the Outcome Questionnaire (OQ-30.2), and depressive symptomatology, with the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-I). In addition, HRV was measured during a 5-min rest period with a built-in ambulatory electrocardiogram system as a valid psychophysiological measure of somatic processes underlying emotional processing. The aim was to demonstrate that: a) emotional regulation partially mediates the relationship between HRV and psychological functioning, and between HRV and depressive symptomatology; b) HRV is negatively associated with emotional regulation difficulties, impairments in psychological functioning, and depressive symptomatology; and c) emotional regulation difficulties are positively associated with impairments in psychological functioning, and depressive symptomatology. Results showed that the lower the HRV the higher the persons’ impairment in psychological functioning, when controlling for emotional regulation difficulties. However, HRV was not significantly related to participants' perception of emotional regulation difficulties nor with depressive symptomatology. Results are discussed and suggestions for future research are outlined.