Stress Management Interventions Among U.S. High School Adolescents: A Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Adolescent ineffective stress management has been associated with negative health outcomes, such as anxiety and depression. Comprehensively evaluating the effects of stress management interventions is needed. AIMS: The aim of this study was to quantitatively evaluate the effects of stress management interventions on mental health outcomes (stress, anxiety, depression, and positive and negative affect) and perform moderation analysis to identify moderators of intervention effects on stress, anxiety, and depression among U.S. high school adolescents. METHODS: Four databases (CINAHL, ERIC, PubMed, and PsycINFO) were searched. After literature screening, 24 articles describing 25 studies were retained. Hedge's g was calculated using random-effects models. Exploratory moderation analyses were performed to identify moderators. RESULTS: The pooled effects on reducing stress were -0.36. The interventions had small effects on decreasing anxiety (g = -0.31) and depression (g = -0.23). Long-term follow-up effects were -0.77 on perceived stress, -0.08 on anxiety, and -0.19 on depression. Mind-body and cognitive-behavioral interventions had moderate effects on reducing anxiety (g = -0.51). Interventions with longer duration (>8 weeks) were more effective in reducing anxiety (-0.39 vs. -0.26) and depression (-0.36 vs. -0.17). CONCLUSIONS: These findings support the short-term effectiveness of stress management interventions in improving mental health among high school adolescents in the United States. Subsequent research efforts should focus on sustaining long-term effects.

Associations between hair cortisol and blood pressure: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Stress is widely considered to be a risk factor for high blood pressure (BP), but evidence on the associations between biomarkers of chronic stress and BP is inconsistent. This systematic review and meta-analysis assessed the current state of the science on relationships between measures of cortisol concentration reflecting chronic stress exposure [hair cortisol concentration (HCC), nail cortisol concentration)] and BP. METHODS: PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Embase were searched. Random effects models were used to assess the pooled effect size. Exploratory moderation analysis was performed. RESULTS: Out of 34 014 identified, 16 articles met eligibility criteria and were included in the review, while 14 were included in the meta-analysis. No articles were reported on the association between nail cortisol concentration and BP. Small, positive associations were observed between HCC and SBP [ r  = 0.19 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.08-0.29)] and HCC and DBP [ r  = 0.13 (95% CI: 0.04-0.22)]. Cortisol analysis method was identified as a significant moderator of the association between HCC and DBP. HCC was largely, positively associated with hypertension status [odds ratio = 3.23 (95% CI: 2.55-4.09), P  < 0.001]. CONCLUSIONS: Current evidence suggests that higher HCC may be associated with elevated BP and a potential risk factor for hypertension. However, results should be interpreted with caution because HCC can be affected by hair color, hair care products, and analytic methods. Given the limitations of studies included in this review, further research is needed.