Differential Analysis of Heart Rate Variability in School Going Adolescents: Comparing Healthy Individuals with Those Experiencing Depression and Anxiety

Background Adolescents often struggle with depression and anxiety, which can greatly affect their well-being and functioning. Early detection is crucial for timely intervention and long-term health. Objective The objective of this study is to compare heart rate variability between depressed and anxious adolescents and their healthy peers. Method In this cross-sectional study, adolescents aged between 13-18 years were randomly selected from various schools. Participants were assessed for depression and anxiety using the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale-25 (RCADS-25). Heart Rate Variability was measured using Power lab, with recorded variables including Median normal to normal interval (NN), Standard deviation of the normal-to-normal interval (SDNN), Root Mean Square of the Successive Differences (RMSSD), Percentage of successive normal to normal interval differing by more than 50 milliseconds (pNN50), Low frequency power % (LF), High frequency power % (HF), and the LF:HF ratio. Result Reduction in certain time domain HRV parameters was observed among the subset of depressed students in Classes XI and XII, such as NN interval (p=0.019), SDNN (p=0.024), and RMSSD (p=0.034). Anxious adolescents showed a significant reduction in HRV compared to their healthy counterparts [(NN, p