Blackwell Reference Online

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Stress is an emotional-psychophysiological state that occurs in a situational context when an individual is confronted with cues that elicit fear or anxiety responses. Medical sociologists are interested in stress because the situations that cause it are often social and increase a person's risk of disease by taxing or exceeding his or her adaptive capacities ( Wheaton 1994 ). Admittedly, the word stress has other connotations, but this view captures the essential facets of an extensive body of research that has been expanding for almost a century. Although various stress process models exist, they generally involve (1) a stimulus problem, (2) a processing state where information regarding the stimulus is organized, and (3) some form of response. The first stage of the stress process involves the presence of stimulus problems or “stressors” consisting of environmental, social, and internal demands that challenge adaptive abilities and call for behavioral adjustments ( Holmes & Rahe 1967 ). The content of stressors varies greatly depending upon individual and group circumstances. For example, adaptive abilities may be significantly challenged by (1) the loss of a job or the death of a loved one; (2) minor but regular annoyances, such as traffic problems and inconsiderate neighbors; (3) enduring exposures to urban problems, such as crowding, environmental pollution, and high rates ... log in or subscribe to read full text