Momentary feelings of safety are associated with attenuated cardiac activity in daily life: Preliminary evidence from an ecological momentary assessment study

Abstract

Feeling safe has been suggested to reflect a state of beneficial autonomic regulation, which might facilitate physical and mental health. We aimed to examine the relationship between the perception of safety in everyday life and cardiac activity (heart rate, heart rate variability) via ecological momentary assessment (EMA). Sixty participants volunteered in a 3-day EMA protocol with parallel recordings of the ECG and subjective ratings of safety. Higher experienced safety in everyday life was associated with better sleep quality, being at home (vs. other locations), being surrounded by close others, as well as more positive and less negative social interactions, thus suggesting valid assessment. Moreover, perceived safety was positively associated with heart rate variability, although this association vanished when controlling for heart rate. Conversely, perceived safety was significantly negatively associated with heart rate, even after controlling for heart rate variability. Findings suggest that feeling safe is associated with attenuated cardiac activity and this effect is probably mediated by sympathetic nervous system activity.