Abstract
Many studies have measured the salivary cortisol level as a method for assessing psychosocial stress. In this paper, we introduce 3 measures of cortisol (daily output, slope, and awakening response) that were estimated by multiple saliva samplings in daily settings. These measures reflect different patterns of diurnal cortisol secretion and have different associations with exposure to acute, chronic, and severe stressors. Considering the characteristics of each cortisol measure and the availability of these protocols at the workplace, measurements of salivary cortisol should be utilized effectively for the assessment of stress.
