Challenges in Obtaining and Assessing Salivary Cortisol and α-Amylase in an Over 60 Population Undergoing Psychotherapeutic Treatment for Complicated Grief: Lessons Learned.

Biomarkers may serve as objective measures in complicated grief (CG) potentially capturing responses to stress reduction treatment. This paper reports challenges in obtaining and assessing salivary cortisol and α-amylase (sAA) for a recent randomized clinical trial. Within-session changes in salivary cortisol and sAA for 54 older adults with CG who received Accelerated Resolution Therapy were compared with perceived stress measured by Subjective Units of Distress Scale.