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Hans Selye defined stress as “the nonspecific (that is, common) result of any demand upon the body, be the effect mental or somatic.” [5] This includes the medical definition of stress as a physical demand and the colloquial definition of stress as a psychological demand. A stressor is inherently neutral meaning that the same stressor can ...
Physiological stress represents a wide range of physical responses that occur as a direct effect of a stressor causing an upset in the homeostasis of the body. Upon immediate disruption of either psychological or physical equilibrium the body responds by stimulating the nervous , endocrine , and immune systems .
However, the problem arises when there is a persistent threat. First-time exposure to a stressor will trigger an acute stress response in the body; however, repeated and continuous exposure causes the stressor to become chronic. [4] McEwen and Stellar (1993) argued there is a "hidden cost of chronic stress to the body over long time periods". [8]
Stress is a conscious or unconscious psychological feeling or physical condition resulting from physical or mental 'positive or negative pressure' that overwhelms adaptive capacities. It is a psychological process initiated by events that threaten, harm or challenge an organism or that exceed available coping resources and it is characterized ...
A moderate and short-term stress response can benefit the immune system, while a severe and long-term stress response can be detrimental to the immune system. The balance between the positive and negative effects of stress hormones is essential for maintaining the health and well-being of the organism. [12] [13] [14] [4]
When a child or adult experiences a stressor, the body will attempt to regulate the stress through releasing hormones that pass through the body. [4] However, effects of the prolonged or frequent biological stress response may increase the risk for future physical and mental health problems in early childhood. [ 23 ]
The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) – The PSS is a widely used subjective tool for measuring stress levels. [53] It consists of 10 questions, and asks participants to rate, on a five-point scale, how stressed they felt after a certain event. All 10 questions are summed to obtain a total score from 0 to 40. [54]
The effects of stress on memory include interference with a person's capacity to encode memory and the ability to retrieve information. [1] [2] Stimuli, like stress, improved memory when it was related to learning the subject. [3] During times of stress, the body reacts by secreting stress hormones into the bloodstream.