Measuring suffering: assessing chronic stress through hair cortisol measurement in humanitarian settings. Issue 1 (March 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Cunningham, Tim
• Is Part Of: Intervention. Volume 13:Issue 1(2015:Mar.)
• Publication Date: 2015-03
• Subjects: biomarker -- chronic stress -- hair cortisol concentration -- humanitarian -- measurement -- prolonged displacement -- psychosocial; Psychiatric social work -- Periodicals; Refugees -- Mental health services -- Periodicals; Mental health counseling -- Periodicals; Armed conflict; Mental Health Services -- Periodicals; Refugees -- Periodicals; War -- Periodicals; Counseling -- Periodicals; Social Work, Psychiatric; Service social psychiatrique -- Périodiques; Réfugiés -- Santé mentale, Services de -- Périodiques; Counseling -- Santé mentale -- Périodiques; Mental health counseling; Psychiatric social work; Refugees -- Mental health services; Periodicals; 362.20425
• DOI: 10.1097/WTF.0000000000000073
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1571-8883

Abstract

Abstract : Ever increasing humanitarian crises involve prolonged population displacement, a known trigger for chronic stress, which in turn highlights the need for chronic stress to be addressed more explicitly within humanitarian aid work. This calls for better tools to both assess chronic stress in these situations of extended displacement, as well as methods to evaluate the impact of psychosocial interventions in such settings. Noting these challenges, this paper proposes the use of hair cortisol concentration sampling to measure long-term suffering and stress. By including cortisol hair testing as a quantitative measure to complement existing measures of psychosocial programme surveillance, researchers may better understand the nature of chronic stress. Sampling any sort of biomarker, such as cortisol concentration in hair, raises ethical and logistical concerns, therefore this paper address these issues as well, maintaining that a 'do no harm' position should take priority over the decision to measure hair cortisol concentration. Furthermore, as there is also a paucity of evidence regarding the validity of hair cortisol testing on humans, further research will be required.