title: Depressive symptomatology and respiratory sinus arrhythmia in a non-clinical sample of middle-aged African Americans.
abstract: Decreased heart rate variability and depression are both independent risk factors for cardiac mortality in clinical and non-clinical samples. The purpose of the current study is to examine the hypothesis that severity of depressive symptomatology is inversely associated with respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) in a non-clinical sample of African Americans. The sample included 77 African Americans with a mean age of 48.4 (SD = 11.7). Participants completed the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) and a 5-min resting baseline measurement of RSA was collected. The BDI-II total score was positively associated with RSA (β = .334, p = .008). Given the unexpected direction of the association, we separated the BDI-II into cognitive and somatic affective subscales to identify which construct was driving the relationship. The somatic affective, was related to RSA (β = .328, p = .010), but not the cognitive subscale. Given this unexpected positive result, future research should further examine the nature of the relationship between depressive symptomatology and RSA in African Americans, as the relationship may vary based on levels of depressive symptomatology.
authors: Virginia State University, Department of Psychology, Petersburg, VA, United States. Electronic address: LKeen@vsu.edu.
authors: Larry
authors: L
authors: Keen
authors: Center of Excellence on Disparities in HIV and Aging, Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center, Chicago, IL, United States. Electronic address: Arlener_Turner@rush.edu.
authors: Arlener D
authors: AD
authors: Turner
authors: Howard University, Department of Psychology, Washington, DC, United States. Electronic address: dtmwendwa@gmail.com.
authors: Denee
authors: D
authors: Mwendwa
authors: Howard University, School of Medicine, Washington, DC, United States; National Minority Organ and Tissue Transplant Program, Washington, DC, United States. Electronic address: ccallender@howard.edu.
authors: Clive
authors: C
authors: Callender
authors: Howard University, Department of Psychology, Washington, DC, United States. Electronic address: acampbell@howard.edu.
authors: Alfonso
authors: A
authors: Campbell
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology*; D000367:Age Factors; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D065809:Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia; D012146:Rest; D012737:Sex Factors
keywords: Cognitive; Depression; Depressive symptomatology; Heart rate variability; Respiratory sinus arrhythmia; Somatic affective