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Examining the effectiveness of psychological strategies on physiologic markers : evidence-based suggestions for holistic care of the athlete . CONTEXT Current holistic rehabilitation blends both physical and psychological techniques . However , validation of the usefulness of psychological strategies is limited in the literature . OBJECTIVE To quantify the effects of psychological strategies on both physiologic ( salivary cortisol ) and subjective assessments of stress . DESIGN Randomized controlled clinical trial . SETTING Laboratory . PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS A total of 97 college-aged students ( age = 20.65 ± 4.38 years ) , most with little to no experience with psychological strategies . INTERVENTION ( S ) A 15-minute script via an iPod led the participant through visual imagery ( cognitive relaxation ) or deep breathing exercises ( somatic relaxation ) cues . The control group listened to 15 minutes of ambient nature sounds . MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE ( S ) Two samples ( pretest , posttest ) of salivary cortisol were analyzed using an enzyme immunoassay kit ; the average was used for statistical analysis . Descriptive statistics and correlations were conducted to examine group differences in time of day , salivary cortisol , sex , Stress-O-Meter values , and Perceived Stress Scale scores . RESULTS Salivary cortisol levels were lower in the treatment group than the control group ( F2,97 = 15.62 , P < .001 ) . Females had higher scores on both the pretest Stress-O-Meter ( 5.15 ± 1.796 ) and the Perceived Stress Scale ( 18.31 ± 5.833 ) than males ( 4.25 ± 1.741 and 15.272 ± 5.390 , respectively ) . CONCLUSIONS Both cognitive and somatic relaxation strategies reduced cortisol levels . Participants who received verbal guidance achieved a larger cortisol reduction . However , the change in cortisol level was uncorrelated with the change in report of acute stress ; females reported higher levels of stress . Clinical implications include attention to sex when assessing stress and providing coping skills during the rehabilitation process .
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Intervention_Psychological
psychological strategies
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Intervention_Psychological
holistic rehabilitation
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Intervention_Psychological
psychological strategies
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Outcome_Physical
salivary cortisol
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Outcome_Physical
salivary cortisol
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Outcome_Mental
Stress-O-Meter
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Outcome_Mental
Perceived Stress Scale scores
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Outcome_Physical
Salivary cortisol levels
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Outcome_Mental
Stress-O-Meter
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Outcome_Mental
Perceived Stress Scale
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Outcome_Physical
cortisol levels
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Outcome_Physical
cortisol reduction
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Participant_Sample-size
97
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Participant_Age
college-aged students ( age = 20.65 ± 4.38 years )
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Participant_Condition
psychological strategies