Predictive value of Heart Rate Variability measurements and the Brief Resilience Scale for workability and vitality.

The final analysis included 428 workers, while 1,624 workers participated at baseline. Many were excluded for missing data or a follow-up period shorter than 24 months. The final sample came from four companies. One automotive holding company contributed 402 workers. Workers who were absent from work at measurement were not included. Excluded workers were lower educated and had more physically demanding work. This limits generalizability to workers with poorer health or higher risk. The included workers were significantly higher educated, worked more in mentally demanding work, and less in shifts than excluded workers. The heart rate variability protocol used a one-minute test and non-clinical cut-off values. The authors question whether this is sensitive enough for healthy workers. Vitality and resilience overlap in definition, because vitality includes mental resilience while working. The study is observational. It reports prediction, not that resilience causes better workability.

The authors declared no relevant financial or non-financial conflicts of interest. The funding source had no involvement in study design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, writing, or decision to submit.

Do not read the Brief Resilience Scale result as proof that resilience screening or training keeps workers at work. The study was observational, and the scale explained 9.2% of workability variance and 7.3% of vitality variance.