Objective Measurement of Stress Resilience: Is RSA a Possible Indicator?

Mental and physical health are interlinked. While there are many objective measurement methods and diagnostic tools for physical disorders, the factors influencing mental health are wide-ranging and very subjective. As a result, there is a need for an objective method for assessing stress and stress resilience. The main parameter used today is heart rate variability, which unfortunately varies according to age, gender and physical health. In this paper, we analyze the effects of respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) on stress and promote RSA as a possible new and advanced parameter for stress resilience. In an evaluation we recorded the heart rate of 20 subjects via a PPG finger sensor and a rPPG method utilising only a webcam. Based on the recorded heart rate data we demonstrate RSA variation and define an RSA parameter that can be assessed remotely without physical contact using computer vision and a standard webcam.