Mesasurement of Stress in Students (MESS)

In March 2020 the covid-19 pandemic, with the subsequent lockdown and social distancing, led to large changes for the Norwegian population, affecting students, workers and leaders among others. For students, most campus lectures and other campus activities were cancelled and moved to digital arenas. As a consequence, the social contact between students, and between students and lecturers were reduced to a minimum. Similar changes occurred in other arenas, affecting leaders and workers in different trades.

Studies indicate that social distancing is affecting the level of depression, anxiety, and stress negatively in the general population, and researchers call for prevention and intervention in order to combat the negative effects of isolation and loneliness. Research also shows that the drop-out rates inclines, as well as suicidal thoughts and behaviour.

Communication, leadership, stress-management, learning and performance are human behavioural traits that are interrelated, and best understood using an interdisciplinary approach. Recent advances in technology and biological analysis enables new interdisciplinary studies. The stress hormone cortisol and the sex-hormone testosterone are hormones that affect and are affected by human behaviour. Hormone levels may be measured in a short timeframe (saliva samples) or a long timeframe (hair samples).

Objectives: 

The MESS research project objectives are to develop and test research models for studying the interactions between human biology, psychology and behaviour, focusing on communication, learning and leadership, and to map the status of stress (using hair cortisol and testosterone measurements) on a student population during the pandemic. We also like to provide knowledge on the potential effects that social distancing has on the level of stress in this population.

Collaborating institutions: University of Graz

The project is financed by Kristiania University College