Testing the feasibility of a digital storytelling intervention combined with heart rate variability biofeedback in hematopoietic cell transplant patients

• DOI: 10.1017/cts.2024.619
• Publication Date: 2025-01-22T07:12:43Z
• Authors: Sunny W. Kim; Dara L. James; Rachel E. Koffer; Lakshmi Nair; Raheleh Bahrami; Lihong Ou; Veena Fauble; Nandita Khera; Linda K. Larkey
• Keywords: psycho-emotional well-being; heart rate variability biofeedback; stem cell transplant patients; R; distress; Medicine; digital storytelling; Heart rate variability

Abstract This pilot 2-week, randomized controlled trial examined integrating digital storytelling (DST) with heart rate variability biofeedback (HRVB) to enhance psycho-emotional well-being of hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) patients. HCT patients (N = 25; Mage = 51.9 years) were randomly assigned: (1) DST + HRVB intervention, or (2) DST-only control. Both groups viewed four emotionally-rich digital stories. The DST + HRVB group practiced HRVB at home for ten minutes/day. DST + HRVB participants decreased anger, depression, fatigue (d = 0.53) and increased emotional processing (d = 0.20), and HRV-assessed autonomic nervous system balance (3.5 vs. 0.9). This study supports feasibility of integrating DST with HRVB, and effect sizes indicate superiority of combining DST with HRVB.