Social stress

Social stress is stress that stems from one's relationships with others and from the social environment in general. Based on the appraisal theory of emotion, stress arises when a person evaluates a situation as personally relevant and perceives that s/he does not have the resources to cope or handle the specific situation. An event which exceeds the ability to cope does not necessarily have to occur in order for one to experience stress, as the threat of such an event occurring can be sufficient. Researchers define social stress and social stressors in various ways. Wadman, Durkin, and Conti-Ramsden (2011) defined social stress as, "the feelings of discomfort or anxiety that individuals may experience in social situations, and the associated tendency to avoid potentially stressful social situations." Ilfield (1977), however, defined social stressors as, "circumstances of daily social roles that are generally considered problematic or undesirable." And Dormann and Zapf (2004) defined social stressors as, ‘‘a class of characteristics, situations, episodes, or behaviors that are related to psychological or physical strain and that are somehow social in nature." There are three main categories of social stressors. Life events are defined as abrupt, severe life changes that require you to adapt quickly (ex. sexual assault, sudden injury). Chronic strains are defined as persistent events that happen, which require you to make adaptations over an extended period of time (ex. divorce, unemployment). Daily hassles are defined as minor events that occur, which require adaptation throughout the day (ex. bad traffic, disagreements). When stress becomes chronic, one experiences emotional, behavioral, and physiological changes that can put one under greater risk for developing a mental disorder and physical illness.