Child Welfare
Research: Mental Health Intervention Tied to Decreased Cortisol Levels
January 11, 2018 | Emily Taylor
Research published in the journal Psychoneuroendocrinology claims to be the first to use a biological measurement – hair cortisol in this case – to measure the impact of a mental health intervention in war-affected youth. The study included 733 war-affected youth from Syria and Jordan aged 12-18 who participated in a Mercy Corps. program, Advancing Adolescents, that is “designed to reduce the effects of profound stress and build strong ties to family and community”. Results showed cortisol levels were reduced by about 38 percent over time.