Stress in 21st Century

This essay will attempt to show a positive correlation between stress and behaviour. Stress may well be of epidemic proportions in the 21st century, however, research conducted over the latter part of the 20th century indicates that at least the beginnings of a stress epidemic was evident in those later years.
An accepted definition of stress is “any circumstances that threaten or are perceived to threaten one’s wellbeing and thereby tax one’s coping abilities”. (Weiten, Lloyd, Dunn & Hammer, 2009)’.
Research into stress epidemiology started in 1936 with the work of Hans Selye, one of the pioneers of stress being accepted as a psychological issue, rather than a physical or psychosomatic one. Other more recent research has highlighted the effects of everyday stressors on our physical and mental health (Seta, Seta & McElroy, 2002). Others, e.g. Lazarus and Cohen (1977) have investigated the detrimental effects of environmental stress on human behaviour.
Stress is a term which has been used by researchers to describe a number of different conditions and means different things to different branches of medicine. There are however, variables which are commonly regarded as being components of what is called ‘stress’ in the pyschological and psychosocial sense of the word. They include anxiety, depression, panic disorder, hostility; Type A behaviour, acute and chronic life events, social isolation, environmental issues, workplace issues and lack of social support. (Bunker, S. Colquhoun. D., Esler, M.D., Hickie, I.B., Hunt, D., Jelinek V.M., Oldenburg B.F. Peach, H.G., Ruth, D., Tennant, C.C. and Tonkin, A.M. 2003). Type A behaviour pattern refers to a number of personality trait characteristics, including rushed, ambitious and competitive behaviour, impatience, hostility, and intolerance. (Friedman 1974).
Research into stress epidemiology was pioneered in 1936 by Dr Hans Selye. This research was followed by another publication in 1950 (Selye 1950). At this time

References: Baum, A., Singer,J.E. & Baum,C. (1982) Stress and the Environment. In G.W. Evans (Ed), Environmental Stress (pp 15-44). New York. Cambridge University Press Baum, A.and Paulus, P Campbell, J (1983). Ambient Stressors, Environment and Behaviour, 15, 355-380 Carr, V.J., (2000) Stress Effects of Earthquakes, Encyclopaedia of Stress Vol 2, San Diego Academic Press. Evans, G.W., (2001) Environmental Stress and Health In A. Baum, T.A. Revenson & J.E. Singer (Eds) Handbook of Health Psychology Mahwah N.J. Erlbaum Evans, G.W., S.J Fischer, C.S. (1976). The Urban Experience New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanich Fleming, I., Baum, A., & Weiss, L.(1987), Social density and perceived control as mediators of crowding stress in high-density residential neighborhoods Friedman M, Roseman RH.(1974) Type A behaviour and your heart. New York: Knopf. Janis, I. (1982). Decision Making under Stress, in L. Goldberger & S. Breznitz (Eds) Handbook of Stress (pp 69-87) New York: Free Press Janis, I Kanner, A, J Coyne, C. Schaefer, R. S Lazarus,(1981) Comparison of two modes of stress measurement: Daily hassles and uplifts versus major life events. Journal of Behavioural Medicine, 4, 1-39. Korte, C. (1978) Helpfulness in the urban environment. In A. Baum, J.E. Singer & S. Valins (Eds) Advances in Environmental Psychology Vol 1,( pp 85-110). Hillsdale, N.J: Erlbaum Lacey, J.I.(1967) Lazarus, R.S. (1966). Psychological Stress and the Coping Process. New York: McGraw-Hill. Lazarus, R.S Loo, C. (1978) Issues of crowding research: Vulnerable participants, assessing perceptions and developmental differences. Journal of Population, 1, pp336-348