Stress and Health: Major Findings and Policy Implications

Abstract

Forty decades of sociological stress research offer five major findings. First, when stressors (negative events, chronic strains, and traumas) are measured comprehensively, their damaging impacts on physical and mental health are substantial. Second, differential exposure to stressful experiences is a primary way that gender, racial-ethnic, marital status, and social class inequalities in physical and mental health are produced. Third, minority group members are additionally harmed by discrimination stress. Fourth, stressors proliferate over the life course and across generations, widening health gaps between advantaged and disadvantaged group members. Fifth, the impacts of stressors on health and well-being are reduced when persons have high levels of mastery, self-esteem, and/or social support. With respect to policy, to help individuals cope with adversity, tried and true coping and support interventions should be more widely disseminated and employed. To address health inequalities, the structural conditions that put people at risk of stressors should be a focus of programs and policies at macro and meso levels of intervention. Programs and policies also should target children who are at lifetime risk of ill health and distress due to exposure to poverty and stressful family circumstances.

Dimensionalidade da escala de estresse percebido (Perceived Stress Scale, PSS-10) em uma amostra de professores

“…Independente da fonte estressora, diferentes estudos vêm demonstrando que o estresse impacta negativamente na saúde física e psicológica (Öhman, Bergdahl, Nyberg, & Nilsson, 2007;Rod, Gronbaek, Schnohr, Prescott, & Kristensen, 2009;Thoits, 2010). Tais estudos fornecem evidência de que a avaliação do estresse por meio de ferramentas validas e confi áveis é imprescindível para programas de prevenção, diagnóstico e intervenção em relação a esse problema.…”

‘“For a better life …“ A study on migration and health in Nicaragua’

“…Santos’ mental health was clearly affected; in the interview he said that he had thought about ending his own life, and that some of his friends after ‘unsuccessful’ migrations had in fact committed suicide, which according to previous Nicaraguan studies can be a risk factor influencing others to attempt suicide [88–90]. Coping strategies – that is, the attempts to manage stressful situations that feel difficult to handle – can nevertheless be enacted when encountering stress [91–94], and hinder the most tragic effects of difficult life experiences. Research shows that coping strategies can be more or less beneficial for health.…”

Constructing respectability from disfavoured social positions: exploring young femininities and health as shaped by marginalisation and social context. A qualitative study in Northern Sweden

“…Poor support or violent relationships were construed as reducing power and undermining health and respectability. Social support was clearly an important buffer for life stressors [60,61]. …”

“…Although a bit simplistic, the more they kept to the normative and altruistic femininity , the more social support and health they gained, compared to if they challenged this ‘essentialised’ or ‘patriarchal’ way of doing femininity or failed to conform. In general, social stressors and discrimination stressors have a damaging impact on physical and mental health, and social support is proven to be an important buffer for life stressors [60,61]. Thoits [60] concludes that differences in exposure to discrimination and stressful experiences is a ‘primary way that gender, racial-ethnic, marital status, and social-class inequalities in physical and mental health are produced’ (p. 41), and that such exposures widen the health gaps between advantaged and disadvantaged groups.…”

“…In general, social stressors and discrimination stressors have a damaging impact on physical and mental health, and social support is proven to be an important buffer for life stressors [60,61]. Thoits [60] concludes that differences in exposure to discrimination and stressful experiences is a ‘primary way that gender, racial-ethnic, marital status, and social-class inequalities in physical and mental health are produced’ (p. 41), and that such exposures widen the health gaps between advantaged and disadvantaged groups. Within a colonial framework, Hoskin [40] points to the gendered devaluation at play when contrasting the ‘failed femininities’ of native and indigenous women who fail to comply with the coloniser to the ‘superior femininities’ of European women.…”