Anxiety and Biofeedback in Higher Education: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Abstract College students tend to develop stress and anxiety disorders. Intervention through Biofeedback (BFB) has been shown to be effective in reducing these symptoms. This systematic review aims to analyze how anxiety and stress have been evaluated in BFB interventions in university students. PRISMA guidelines were used, where articles from 2018 to 2023 were selected from three different databases. Among the 281 articles found, 10 were selected and analyzed critically. The studies comprised samples ranging from 4 to 146 individuals, and where women tended to be in greater numbers. Subjective measurement instruments (self-report questionnaires) and psychophysiological measurements (BFB and analysis of salivary cortisol) were used in the studies. The results of this research indicate that the instruments most used by means of screening were the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and the State Anxiety Inventory (STAI), used in the evaluation before and after the interventions. In the psychophysiological assessment, in addition to the BFB devices, one study used the analysis of salivary cortisol. Interventions with BFB in university students proved to be, in most cases, effective in reducing symptoms of stress and anxiety. Based on the above, greater emphasis should be placed on the development and evaluation of BFB programs at universities