Effect of resilience training interventions on salivary cortisol and perceived stress among Indian school students

Adolescents face significant stress, impacting their psychological and physiological health. Resilience training can enhance coping skills and reduce stress. Therefore, it is of interest to evaluate the effect of resilience training on salivary cortisol levels and perceived stress among Indian school students. Hence, a true experimental pre-test and post-test control group design was conducted with 9th-grade students in Coimbatore, India. The pilot study group underwent an 8-session resilience training intervention. Salivary cortisol and perceived stress were measured by pre - and post-intervention using standardized tools. The study group showed significant reductions in salivary cortisol (mean difference = 0.09; <i>p</i> = 0.05) and perceived stress (mean difference = 10.40; <i>p</i> = 0.001). A positive correlation (<i>r</i> = 0.28; <i>p</i> = 0.05) was observed between cortisol reduction and stress reduction. Thus, resilience training effectively reduces stress and salivary cortisol levels for adolescents.