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A longitudinal study of perceived stress and cortisol responses in an undergraduate student population from India

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  • Anuradha Batabyal
  • Anindita Bhattacharya
  • Maria Thaker
  • Shomen Mukherjee

Abstract

Young adults entering college experience immense shifts in personal and professional environments. Such a potentially stressful event may trigger multiple psychological and physiological effects. In a repeated-measures longitudinal survey (N = 6 time-points) of first year cohort of residential undergraduate students in India, this study evaluates multiple psychological parameters: PSS14 (Perceived Stress Scale), K10 (distress scale) and positive mood measures, along with salivary cortisol levels. We find that compared to women, men showed significantly lower levels of salivary cortisol and also a decrease in perceived stress (PSS14) and distress (K10) with time. By contrast, women reported similar perceived stress and distress levels over time but had higher cortisol levels at the end of the academic year. Academic stress was reported by the students to be the most important stressor. This study highlights notable gender-/sex-differences in psychological and physiological stress responses and adds a valuable longitudinal dataset from the Indian undergraduate student cohort which is lacking in literature.

Suggested Citation

  • Anuradha Batabyal & Anindita Bhattacharya & Maria Thaker & Shomen Mukherjee, 2021. "A longitudinal study of perceived stress and cortisol responses in an undergraduate student population from India," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(6), pages 1-11, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0252579
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0252579
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Shaher H. Hamaideh, 2011. "Stressors and Reactions to Stressors Among University Students," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 57(1), pages 69-80, January.
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    1. Kacper Nijakowski & Dawid Gruszczyński & Kacper Łaganowski & Jagoda Furmańczak & Alicja Brożek & Marcin Nowicki & Dorota Formanowicz & Anna Surdacka, 2022. "Salivary Morning Cortisol as a Potential Predictor for High Academic Stress Level in Dental Students: A Preliminary Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(5), pages 1-13, March.

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