RHYTHM
With this new project, RHYTHM, Vinkers aims to find out whether this cortisol rhythm is the missing link between stress and mental health. “We have known for a long time that cortisol is important, but most studies only looked at a few isolated time points,” Vinkers explains. “Thanks to new technology we can now monitor cortisol continuously over twenty four hours in daily life. That allows us to study the full pattern instead of snapshots.”

Towards rhythm based interventions for mental health
By combining intensive hormone monitoring in daily life with experimental and clinical studies, RHYTHM aims to move from static measurements to a dynamic view of the stress system. “If we can show that disturbed cortisol rhythms are a key mechanism in stress related disorders, this opens the door to new ways to support resilience,” says Vinkers. This might include medication that restores the rhythm, but also behavioural and digital interventions that strengthen sleep and daily routines.