Capillary, salivary and serum cortisol as biomarkers of stress in teachers: a mapping of the literature

Authors

Milena Roxana Muñoz Ureta Facultad de Posgrado. Universidad Técnica de Manabí, Portoviejo, Manabí, Ecuador. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4674-1878
Jazmin Beatriz Anzules Guerra Departamento Especialidades en Salud. Facultad Ciencias de la Salud. Universidad Técnica de Manabí, Portoviejo, Manabí, Ecuador. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2789-5831

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33936/qkrcs.v9i2.7029

Abstract

Job stress is a key risk factor for teachers’ mental health, affecting their psychological well-being. In Ecuador, studies have identified that workload, academic expectations and working conditions contribute to stress, burnout and disorders such as anxiety and depression. Cortisol has been used as a key biological indicator to assess these conditions. The objective was to map the scientific evidence on capillary, salivary and serum cortisol levels in relation to stress in teachers. A scoping review was conducted following the guidance of the Joanna Briggs Institute, with systematic searches in PubMed, Science Direct and Google Scholar, including studies published between 2019 and 2024, without language restriction. Of the studies analyzed, 64.28% used salivary samples to assess cortisol. The results highlight that factors such as occupational stress, workload, and stress management strategies significantly influence cortisol levels, confirming it as an effective biomarker of stress in teachers. It is crucial to address the gaps in the literature, especially in developing country contexts, and to promote the use of more sensitive tools to assess the impact of chronic stress on teachers’ mental health.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Doan SN, Davis AS, Fuller TE. Cortisol and changes in depressive symptoms: The moderating role of DHEA. Psychoneuroendocrinology [Internet]. marzo de 2024;161:106941. Disponible en: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306453023009198

López J. Estrés y cortisol en los docentes de la Universidad Técnica del Norte, 2020 [Internet]. [Ibarra]: Universidad Técnica del Norte; 2020. Disponible en: http://repositorio.utn.edu.ec/bitstream/123456789/10732/2/06%20ENF%201165%20TRABAJO%20GRADO.pdf

Rojas JL, Flores G, Cuaya IG. Principales aspectos metodológicos en el estudio del estrés laboral en personal universitario: Una revisión sistemática. Rev Digit Invest Docencia Univ [Internet]. el 14 de noviembre de 2021;15(1):e1248. Disponible en: http://www.scielo.org.pe/pdf/ridu/v15n1/2223-2516-ridu-15-01-e1248.pdf

La OMS y la OIT piden nuevas medidas para abordar los problemas de salud mental en el trabajo [Internet]. WHO. 2022 [citado el 18 de junio de 2024]. Disponible en: https://www.who.int/es/news/item/28-09-2022-who-and-ilo-call-for-new-measures-to-tackle-mental-health-issues-at-work

Lemos M, Calle G, Roldán T, Valencia M, Orejuela J, Román J. Factores psicosociales asociados al estrés en profesores universitarios colombianos. Diver: Perspect Psicol [Internet]. 2019;15(1):61–72. Disponible en: http://www.scielo.org.co/pdf/dpp/v15n1/1794-99-98-dpp-15-01-61-71.pdf

Ruiz A, Razo M. Estrategia de prevención a través de la identificación de biomarcadores asociados al estrés laboral en docentes universitario [Internet]. [Ambato]: Universidad Técnica de Ambato; 2021. Disponible en: https://repositorio.uta.edu.ec:8443/jspui/handle/123456789/33177

Párraga K, Escobar G. Estrés laboral en docentes de educación básica por el cambio de modalidad de estudio presencial a virtual. Ycs [Internet]. el 16 de noviembre de 2020;4(7 Edición especial):142–55. Disponible en: http://dx.doi.org/10.46296/yc.v4i7edesp.0067

Peters MD, Godfrey C, McInerney P, Munn Z, Tricco AC, Khalil H. Scoping reviews. En: Aromataris E, Lockwood C, Porritt K, Pilla B, Jordan Z, editores. JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis [Internet]. JBI; 2024. Disponible en: https://doi.org/10.46658/JBIMES-24-09

Agyapong B, Obuobi G, Burback L, Wei Y. Stress, Burnout, Anxiety and Depression among Teachers: A Scoping Review. Int J Environ Res Public Health [Internet]. el 27 de agosto de 2022;19(17):10706. Disponible en: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191710706

Schaafsma F, Hulsegge G, de Jong M, Overvliet J, van Rossum E, Nieuwenhuijsen K. The potential of using hair cortisol to measure chronic stress in occupational healthcare; a scoping review. J Occup Health [Internet]. el 10 de enero de 2021;63(1). Disponible en: https://doi.org/10.1002/1348-9585.12189

James K, Stromin J, Steenkamp N, Combrinck M. Understanding the relationships between physiological and psychosocial stress, cortisol and cognition. Front Endocrinol [Internet]. el 6 de marzo de 2023;14. Disponible en: https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2023.1085950

Dreer B. Positive Psychological Interventions for Teachers: a Randomised Placebo-Controlled Field Experiment Investigating the Effects of Workplace-Related Positive Activities. Int J Appl Posit Psychol [Internet]. el 12 de abril de 2020;5(1–2):77–97. Disponible en: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41042-020-00027-7

Agyapong B, Brett P, Burback L, Agyapong V, Wei Y. Interventions to Reduce Stress and Burnout among Teachers: A Scoping Review. Int J Environ Res Public Health [Internet]. el 24 de abril de 2023;20(9):5625. Disponible en: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20095625

Knezevic E, Nenic K, Milanovic V, Knezevic N. The Role of Cortisol in Chronic Stress, Neurodegenerative Diseases, and Psychological Disorders. Cells [Internet]. el 29 de noviembre de 2023;12(23):2726. Disponible en: https://doi.org/10.3390/cells12232726

von Suchodoletz A, Rojas NM, Nadyukova I, Larsen R, Uka F. Exploring Diurnal Cortisol Rhythms of Kindergarten Teachers in Kosovo and Ukraine. Am J Community Psychol [Internet]. el 17 de junio de 2019;63(3–4):286–97. Disponible en: https://doi.org/10.1002/ajcp.12308

Wettstein A, Kühne F, Tschacher W, La Marca R. Ambulatory Assessment of Psychological and Physiological Stress on Workdays and Free Days Among Teachers. A Preliminary Study. Front Neurosci [Internet]. el 14 de febrero de 2020;14. Disponible en: https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2020.00112

Hepburn S, Carroll A, McCuaig L. A Complementary Intervention to Promote Wellbeing and Stress Management for Early Career Teachers. Int J Environ Res Public Health [Internet]. el 11 de junio de 2021;18(12):6320. Disponible en: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18126320

Taylor S, Roberts A, Zarrett N. A brief mindfulness-based intervention (bMBI) to reduce teacher stress and burnout. Teach Teach Educ [Internet]. abril de 2021;100:103284. Disponible en: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2021.103284

Rodríguez R, Carmona M, García S, Díaz B, Thuissard I. Stress, subjective wellbeing and self-knowledge in higher education teachers: A pilot study through bodyfulness approaches. PLoS One [Internet]. el 15 de diciembre de 2022;17(12):e0278372. Disponible en: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0278372

Schneider S, Wettstein A, Tschacher W, Torchetti L, Jenni G, Kühne F, et al. Longitudinal Associations Between Core Self-Evaluation, Vital Exhaustion and Hair Cortisol in Teachers and the Mediating Effects of Resignation Tendency. Front Psychol [Internet]. el 7 de julio de 2022;13. Disponible en: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.907056

Thephilah C, Aruna S, Vijayaragahavan R. The effects of stress reduction strategies of breathing technique relaxation programme and positive psychology on biochemical variable response among schoolteachers. Biosci J [Internet]. el 9 de septiembre de 2022;38:e38068. Disponible en: https://doi.org/10.14393/BJ-v38n0a2022-54176

Wagner D, Pearcey S. Perceived stress and salivary biomarkers in educators: comparison among three stress reduction activities. Health Psychol Behav Med [Internet]. el 31 de diciembre de 2022;10(1):617–31. Disponible en: https://doi.org/10.1080/21642850.2022.2102016

Wettstein A, Schneider S, Jenni G, Holtforth M, Tschacher W, La Marca R. Association between workaholism, vital exhaustion, and hair cortisol concentrations among teachers: A longitudinal study testing the moderation effect of neuroticism. Front Psychol [Internet]. el 15 de diciembre de 2022;13. Disponible en: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1046573

Houmri N, Adamou A, Bairi A, Khezzani B, Gharghout A, Hamad B, et al. Hormonal and lipid disruption because of stress among teachers of The University of El-Oued, Algeria. Arch Balk Med Union [Internet]. el 18 de diciembre de 2023;58(4):319–25. Disponible en: https://doi.org/10.31688/ABMU.2023.58.4.02

Jõgi A, Aulén A, Pakarinen E, Lerkkanen M. Teachers’ daily physiological stress and positive affect in relation to their general occupational well‐being. Br J Educ Psychol [Internet]. el 6 de marzo de 2023;93(1):368–85. Disponible en: https://doi.org/10.1111/bjep.12561

La Marca R, Schneider S, Jenni G, Kühne F, Holtforth M grosse, Wettstein A. Associations between stress, resources, and hair cortisol concentration in teachers. Psychoneuroendocrinology [Internet]. agosto de 2023;154:106291. Disponible en: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2023.106291

Schneider S, grosse Holtforth M, Wettstein A, Jenni G, Kühne F, Tschacher W, et al. The diurnal course of salivary cortisol and alpha-amylase on workdays and leisure days in teachers and the role of social isolation and neuroticism. PLoS One [Internet]. el 31 de mayo de 2023;18(5):e0286475. Disponible en: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0286475

Wettstein A, Jenni G, Schneider S, Kühne F, grosse Holtforth M, La Marca R. Teachers’ perception of aggressive student behavior through the lens of chronic worry and resignation, and its association with psychophysiological stress: An observational study. Soc Psychol Educ [Internet]. el 6 de agosto de 2023;26(4):1181–200. Disponible en: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-023-09782-2

Harmsen R, Helms M, Maulana R, van Veen K, van Veldhoven M. Measuring general and specific stress causes and stress responses among beginning secondary school teachers in the Netherlands. Int J Res Method Educ [Internet]. el 20 de enero de 2019;42(1):91–108. Disponible en: https://doi.org/10.1080/1743727X.2018.1462313

McGee A, Scott S, Manczak E, Watamura S. Associations between the Psychophysiological Impacts of Teacher Occupational Stress and Stress Biomarkers: A Systematic Review. PNI [Internet]. 2023;4:1–16. Disponible en: doi:10.32371/pnij/246145

Hawrot A, Koniewski M. Factor Structure of the Maslach Burnout Inventory–Educators Survey in a Polish-Speaking Sample. JCA [Internet]. el 19 de agosto de 2018;26(3):515–30. Disponible en: https://doi.org/10.1177/1069072717714545

Lazarou E, Exarchos T. Predicting stress levels using physiological data: Real-time stress prediction models utilizing wearable devices. AIMS Neurosci [Internet]. 2024;11(2):76–102. Disponible en: https://doi.org/10.3934/neuroscience.2024006