Mindfulness-Based Self-Compassion and Vagal Nerve Stimulation Impact on Heart Rate Variability, Psychological Resilience, and Sleep Quality in Earthquake Survivors

Abstract

Earthquakes pose significant risks to both psychological and physiological health by disrupting autonomic regulation and increasing stress-related disorders. This study aims to evaluate the combined effects of Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) and vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) on sleep quality, psychological resilience, and heart rate variability (HRV) in survivors of the February 2023 Turkey-Syria earthquakes. A randomized experimental study was conducted with 26 earthquake survivors, assigned to either a combined MSC+VNS group or a VNS-only group. The intervention lasted three weeks. Pre- and post-intervention assessments included the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Psychological Resilience Scale, and HRV parameters (RMSSD, pNN50, LF/HF ratio). Both groups showed improvement in sleep quality and resilience, with the MSC+VNS group demonstrating greater gains. Significant improvement was observed in LF/HF ratios in both groups, indicating enhanced autonomic balance. However, changes in RMSSD and pNN50 were not statistically significant. While VNS supports stress reduction, combining it with MSC yields stronger psychological and physiological benefits. These findings suggest that integrative approaches may be particularly effective in post-disaster recovery. Future studies with larger and more diverse samples are recommended to validate and expand on these results.