Stress is a biopsychosocial phenomenon, as it affects a person’s physical well-being, emotional stability, and social interactions. Stress can also be explained by a myriad of biopsychosocial factors that contribute to its development described by Sarafino and Smith (2017). First, stress is correlated with social support, which implies that increased social contacts lead to a decreased probability of stress (Sarafino & Smith, 2017). Second, a reduced sense of personal control is associated with increased stress, as people become unable to use thought processes to take concrete actions to reduce the impact of stressors (Sarafino & Smith, 2017). Third, stress is modified by personality strengths, including hardiness, sense of coherence, optimism, and resilience (Sarafino & Smith, 2017). Finally, Type A behavior, which is associated with high levels of competitiveness, time urgency, anger, and vigorous vocal style, also can contribute to overall stress. Thus, stress is a complex matter that should be addressed from a different side to understand its nature.
Effects of Stress
Stress impacts life according to biological, psychological, and psychosocial perspectives. From the biological viewpoint, stress increases blood pressure, which may lead to the development of severe heart conditions (Sarafino & Smith, 2017). Additionally, stress affects the immune system as the body releases catecholamines and corticosteroids during the arousal effect (Sarafino & Smith, 2017). From the psychosocial perspective, stress alters the behavior of people by increasing risky behaviors, such as substance abuse and conflicts (Sarafino & Smith, 2017). From the psychological viewpoint, stress affects emotional stability, and negative emotions can lead to the development of severe psychological disorders, such as depression (Sarafino & Smith, 2017). Thus, reducing stress is crucial from all viewpoints to maintain an adequate level of physical and mental health. Stress can be reduced by addressing biopsychosocial modifiers, such as social support and self-efficacy.
Reference
Sarafino, E., & Smith, T. (2017). Health psychology (9th ed.). Danvers, MA: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.