USC students, faculty, and staff can get weekly results of their stress levels by participating in a research study on campus.
Launched in 2022, Trojan CALM (Cortisol Assessment and Laboratory Measurement) examines the interplay between perceived and physiological stress by analyzing cortisol levels from saliva samples and responses to validated surveys. The ultimate goal? To inform tailored interventions that can help reduce stress across campus.
“Everyone was already used to spitting in tubes for COVID tests,” said Amanda Burkhardt, the study’s principal investigator, “so asking people for saliva samples to measure cortisol didn’t feel like a huge leap.”
While the logistics of collecting samples aren’t always ideal—participants sometimes submit samples at inconsistent times or accidentally contaminate them by drinking Gatorade before providing a sample—the data has yielded some unexpected insights.
The first being that community involvement, such as participating in clubs or sports, has a significant impact on decreasing physiological stress levels.
“Even if students in the marching band perceive themselves as stressed, their cortisol levels show otherwise,” explained Mikey Null, a senior studying Pharmacology and Drug Development and a member of the USC Trojan marching band. “The supportive social aspect outweighs the stress from the time commitment.”
Null is part of a research team of undergraduates that each have a research question they focus on pertaining to cortisol levels.
Although exercise is known as a stress reliever, participants who exercised excessively—six to seven days a week—showed higher cortisol levels compared to those who exercised moderately.
“Three to four times a week seems to hit the sweet spot,” noted Michelle Bitus, a senior student researcher studying Pharmacology and Drug Development.
The study’s data shows clear spikes in stress during predictable times, such as midterms, finals, and move-out week. Interestingly, participants identifying as women consistently report and exhibit higher physiological and perceived stress levels than their male counterparts.
“We even saw a noticeable drop during spring break, followed by a sharp spike afterward, especially among women,” Amanda Burkhardt shared. “The men eventually came up and met the women during finals week, but it took them a lot longer to get there.”
Faculty stress tends to peak around NIH grant deadlines, which don’t align with the academic calendar’s typical stress points.
Out-of-state students, despite facing hurdles like adjusting to a new environment, report lower perceived stress compared to in-state students. Counterintuitively, heterosexual participants showed higher physiological stress levels compared to their LGBTQ+ peers.
Beyond gathering data, the team is committed to making a difference. Participants can log into the study’s website to view their individual stress levels compared to group averages, empowering them to better understand and manage their stress. The research team hopes to eventually partner with Student Health to design interventions targeted at specific populations.
“This study isn’t just about collecting data—it’s about creating resources to help people navigate their stress more effectively,” said Jennifer Nguyen, who is completing her master’s in Biopharmaceutical Marketing this spring.
The team has even embraced a creative approach to recruitment and engagement, including an Instagram page, stickers, and “stress leaderboard” updates across schools—though they’ve been cautious about not encouraging competitive stress levels.
The study’s leader, Amanda Burkhardt, has two main suggestions for students looking to improve their stress levels: increase sleep and engage in campus communities.
But if you absolutely can’t get to bed earlier, make sure you don’t skip out on clubs and social activities. According to Burkhardt, increased cortisol from lack of sleep can be overcome by participating in extracurriculars.
“Stress is part of life, but understanding it better might help us find healthier ways to manage it,” Burkhardt said. “And maybe, just maybe, we can make life on campus a little less stressful for everyone.”