{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,15]],"date-time":"2026-10-15T15:39:11Z","timestamp":1792078751041,"version":"4.4.0"},"reference-count":71,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,2,4]],"date-time":"2025-02-04T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1738627200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Psychiatry"],"abstract":"<jats:sec><jats:title>Objective<\/jats:title><jats:p>Although research on psychological interventions in generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) has provided evidence of their effectiveness regarding self-reported outcomes, few studies have examined their psychophysiological effects. Heart rate is emerging as a potential biomarker of efficacy in anxiety disorders. This study aimed to investigate the effects of a self-compassion intervention versus a mindfulness intervention on physiological arousal in response to induced stress.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title><jats:p>Forty-seven patients with GAD had heart rate data collected during a stress task before and after a 2-week pharmacological treatment (known as treatment as usual, TAU), a self-compassion intervention + TAU or a mindfulness intervention + TAU. They also reported state anxiety, positive affect, and negative affect at pre- and post- intervention before the stress task. ANOVAs were conducted to analyze the effects on electrocardiogram data self-reported measurements.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results<\/jats:title><jats:p>Self-compassion intervention uniquely decreased heart rate response to a stressor whereas mindfulness intervention did not. Both treatments decreased state anxiety and negative affect to a stressor, while increased positive affect in this context. We also demonstrated a significant correlation between decreased heart rate response and less negative emotions.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title><jats:p>The Findings provides novel physiological evidence that self-compassion interventions buffer stress reactivity in individuals with GAD. Attention shall be paid to the limitations in small and unequal sample size and a non-randomized study design.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyt.2025.1483827","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,2,4]],"date-time":"2025-02-04T12:32:58Z","timestamp":1738672378000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":5,"title":["The effect of self-compassion versus mindfulness interventions on autonomic responses to stress in generalized anxiety 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