Trier Social Stress Test: a method for use in nursing research.
BACKGROUND
Researchers face the difficulty of inducing psychosocial stress in a laboratory setting using a method that institutional review boards could consider an acceptable research protocol.


METHODS
This article describes the Trier Social Stress Test, a research protocol that can be used to induce psychosocial stress and capture the integrated aspects of an individual's biologic and psychological responses.


RESULTS
The test involves 15 minutes of psychosocial stress induced by a mock job interview and followed by a mental arithmetic challenge before a panel of three judges. The discomfort associated with performance requirements induces stress in socially acceptable ways that can be measured using physiologic and/or psychological parameters.


CONCLUSIONS
This method allows stress to be induced and measured in a controlled, laboratory setting.
Williams
Reg Arthur
RA
University of Michigan School of Nursing, 400 North Ingalls, Room 4352, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA. rawill@umich.edu
Hagerty
Bonnie M
BM
Brooks
Geneal
G
D002985:Clinical Protocols; D006805:Human Experimentation; D006801:Humans; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000503:physiopathology; D015399:Nursing Research / Q000379:methods*; D028701:Patient Rights; D018579:Patient Selection; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000503:physiopathology; D011581:Psychological Tests / Q000592:standards*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology