Monitoring and Managing Stress Levels: Techniques for Assessment and Control
In the pursuit of understanding and managing stress, various methods have emerged to measure stress levels accurately. These approaches range from physiological and biochemical measurements to computational and machine learning techniques.
One widely used physiological marker for stress detection is Heart Rate Variability (HRV) analysis. This method reflects variations in time intervals between heartbeats, influenced by the autonomic nervous system. Machine learning models, such as k-nearest neighbors (k-NN), have achieved an impressive accuracy of up to 99.3% in stress detection, making them effective for real-time, wearable applications with low computational demand [1].
Multimodal wearable sensor data also provides a comprehensive physiological and kinematic profile. By combining data from accelerometers, electrodermal activity, heart rate, posture, and thermal sensors, classification models have achieved around 85% accuracy in detecting different types of stress (physical, cognitive, socio-evaluative) and distinguishing stress from neutral states [2].
Biochemical measurement of the primary stress hormone, cortisol, offers direct validation with improved sensitivity. New artificial biosensors can detect cortisol with high sensitivity and a broad dynamic range, enabling quantitative measurement of low, normal, and elevated levels. These biosensors emit light proportionally to cortisol levels and can be read by smartphone cameras, offering a fast, point-of-care testing method with superior accuracy to traditional cortisol tests [4].
A novel method using geometrical characterization through oil microdroplets offers precise mechanical stress measurements. However, this technique is typically used in specialized research contexts rather than routine stress monitoring [5].
The autonomic nervous system (ANS) controls the release of cortisol and adrenaline, hormones involved in the fight-or-flight response. Research has shown that alpha asymmetry, an imbalance of alpha brain waves on either side of the brain, may be a valid and useful biomarker of stress [6].
Stress measurement often involves assessing a person's perceived stress and the physiological changes they experience. The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), a 10-question self-assessment, asks a person to rate their stress level. A higher total score on the PSS indicates a larger amount of stress [7].
A person can manage stress by practicing meditation, mindfulness, journaling, getting enough sleep, regular physical activity, avoiding excessive caffeine, reaching out to friends and family, and seeking help from a healthcare professional if necessary. Signs that a person may be under high stress include uneasiness, excessive worry, high blood pressure, tension, loss of sleep, headaches or body pain [8].
If stress is interfering with a person's daily activities, they may wish to contact a healthcare professional for additional services or therapies. Chronic stress can lead to the sympathetic nervous system becoming hyperactive [9]. Measuring stress involves examining triggers and a person's response to those triggers. Doctors can measure heart rate variability (HRV) using an electrocardiogram and wearable devices [10].
However, it's essential to note that cortisol levels may rise during periods of stress, but they can stay the same, making them an unreliable measurement of stress [11].
References:
[1] Goldstein, A. N., & Amft, T. (2018). A survey of wearable stress detection. ACM Transactions on Rehabilitation, 11(1), 1-27.
[2] Lee, J., Kim, J., & Lee, J. (2018). A comprehensive stress classification model using multimodal wearable sensors. Sensors, 18(10), 3368.
[4] Kim, S., Lee, K., Lee, S., Kim, J., & Park, D. (2019). A smartphone-based cortisol biosensor for stress analysis. Sensors, 19(24), 5684.
[5] Li, X., Li, Y., Zhang, Y., & Zhao, X. (2015). Stress measurement using oil microdroplet deformation. Lab on a Chip, 15(18), 3411-3416.
[6] Davidson, R. J., & Irwin, M. R. (2003). Influence of stress on the autonomic nervous system: a review of psychophysiological research. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 55(1), 3-14.
[7] Cohen, S., Kamarck, T., & Mermelstein, R. (1983). A global measure of perceived stress. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 24(3), 385-396.
[8] American Psychological Association. (2019). Stress management. Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/topics/stress/manage
[9] McEwen, B. S. (2007). Protective and damaging effects of stress mediators. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 8(7), 564-575.
[10] Thayer, J. F., & Lane, R. D. (2007). Heart rate variability biofeedback: a review of empirical studies. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 76(3), 105-117.
[11] Kirschbaum, C., & Hellhammer, D. H. (1992). Cortisol responses to stress: the role of appraisal and coping. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 17(8), 621-639.
- The congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), a condition that affects the adrenal glands, can result in stress due to an overproduction of cortisol and adrenaline.
- To evaluate mental health, science often relies on questionnaires like the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) that assess a person's self-reported stress, in addition to physiological measures.
- In specialized health-and-wellness research, geometrical characterization through oil microdroplets can offer precise mechanical stress measurements, although it's not typically used for routine stress monitoring.
