Sources of Stress

Sources/causes of stress = factors or situations that produce stress. They may be: trivial, external/situational, or physical. Small events can cause stress if the person perceives them as important. Examples: delay of a plane/train, quarrel with a friend, loss/theft of money, share‑market changes, income‑tax problems, no call from a close friend. A stressful lifestyle can come from daily problems of money, family, work, and insecurity.

• Major life changes that disturb routine and create upheaval.
• Can be:
• Planned: moving to a new house
• Unpredictable: break‑up of a long relationship.
• Many life events in a short time → more difficulty in coping and higher stress.

Measure of stressful life events

Holmes and Rahe gave a life event scale.

Singh, Kaur, and Kaur made an Indian version: Presumptive Stressful Life Events Scale.

Features:

• Self‑rating questionnaire
• 51 life changes
• Each event has a mean stress score.
• Both positive and negative events are included.
• Total stress score = sum of scores of all events in the last 1 year.

Sample life events and scores

Life events and illness

• On average, about two life events in a year can occur without clear physical or mental illness.
• Correlation between the number of life events and illness is low (weak link).
• Not clear whether:
• Life events → stress and illness, or
• Stress/illness → life events.
• Impact varies with age, frequency, duration, and social support.

• Small, frequent, everyday irritations.
• Examples: Noisy surroundings, commuting problems, Quarrelsome neighbours, Electricity and water shortages, Traffic jams, and many household emergencies.
• Some jobs have frequent hassles every day.
• More stress from hassles → poorer psychological well‑being.

• Extreme events, beyond normal daily experience.
• Examples: fire, serious road/train accident, robbery, earthquake, tsunami.
• Effects may appear over time and last for a long time: Anxiety, Flashbacks, Disturbing dreams, and Intrusive thoughts.
• Severe trauma can damage relationships.
• If symptoms last for months, professional help is needed.

• Stress Sources: Daily issues (like delays, fights, money) can cause stress if seen as important.
• Life Events: Big changes (e.g., moving, breakups) disturb life. Stress is measured using event scales such as the Holmes-Rahe and Indian PSLES.
• Life Events & Illness: More events may link to illness, but the connection is weak and depends on support and other factors.
• Daily Hassles: Small, frequent problems (e.g., traffic, noise) often affect mental health more than big events.
• Trauma: Serious events (e.g., accidents, disasters) can cause lasting stress like anxiety and flashbacks; long-term effects need help.