In psychology, researchers generally classify the different types of stressors into four categories: 1) crises/catastrophes, 2) major life events, 3) daily hassles/microstressors, and 4) ambient stressors. Stressors are more likely to affect an individual's health when they are "chronic, highly disruptive, or perceived as uncontrollable". Researchers have found that stressors can make individuals more prone to both physical and psychological problems, including heart disease and anxiety. These events or experiences are perceived as threats or challenges to the individual and can be either physical or psychological. Types of stressors Ī stressor is any event, experience, or environmental stimulus that causes stress in an individual.
It is individual differences and responses that induce either distress or eustress. A stressor is inherently neutral meaning that the same stressor can cause either distress or eustress. Hans Selye defined stress as “the nonspecific (that is, common) result of any demand upon the body, be the effect mental or somatic.” This includes the medical definition of stress as a physical demand and the colloquial definition of stress as a psychological demand. It is all about the context of the individual and how they perceive the situation. It is neutral, and what varies is the degree of response. 5.3.2 Mental inhibition/disavowal mechanismsĬauses Neutrality of stressors.5.3.1 Highly adaptive/active/problem-focused mechanisms.It occurs when a demand vastly exceeds a person's capabilities. Medically defined distress is a threat to the quality of life. "Distress" stems from the Latin root dis- (as in "dissonance" or "disagreement"). Eustress results when a person perceives a stressor as positive. The term " eustress" comes from the Greek root eu- which means "good" (as in "euphoria"). Selye advocates balancing these: the ultimate goal would be to balance hyperstress and hypostress perfectly and have as much eustress as possible. On the other is over-stress (hyperstress) and understress (hypostress). On one axis he locates good stress (eustress) and bad stress (distress). Hans Selye (1974) proposed four variations of stress. Stress can be external and related to the environment, but may also be caused by internal perceptions that cause an individual to experience anxiety or other negative emotions surrounding a situation, such as pressure, discomfort, etc., which they then deem stressful. Excessive amounts of stress, however, can increase the risk of strokes, heart attacks, ulcers, and mental illnesses such as depression and also aggravation of a pre-existing condition. Small amounts of stress may be beneficial, as it can improve athletic performance, motivation and reaction to the environment. In psychology, stress is a feeling of emotional strain and pressure. To comply with Wikipedia's lead section guidelines, please consider modifying the lead to provide an accessible overview of the article's key points in such a way that it can stand on its own as a concise version of the article. This article's lead section may not adequately summarize its contents.