Stress Is Inevitable, but It Is How We Cope with It That Makes the Difference to Our Mental Health

'Stress is inevitable, but it is how we cope with it that makes the difference to our mental health'. Discuss.

Stress cannot be defined in simple terms, however in academic literature it is viewed from three main perspectives (Cassidy, 1999). Firstly the stimulus model focuses on the environmental events that cause an individual distress. Secondly the response view concentrates on how events affect individuals, both physiologically and psychologically and their response to these stimuli. Finally the transaction or process model attempts to incorporate a more complete holistic view and considers the transaction between the individual and their environment. However these transactions may not always have a negative impact, according to Nelson and Quick (2010, p. 243):

Stress is an inevitable result of work and personal life. Distress is not an inevitable consequence of stressful events, however; in fact, well managed stress can improve health and performance.

Stressful events, also known as stressors, are different to each individual. They can be a symbol of threat, a life change or a particular event that may harm or endanger the individual (Baum, Gatchel & Kantz, 1997). These stressors can range in magnitude but all evoke a response, this response can be either negative or positive. Response according to Eysenck (2004) can be viewed in four main ways: behavioural, cognitive, emotional and physiological. The behavioural, cognitive and emotional effects of stress can impact on certain individuals' mental health. Some of the reactions are feelings of anxiety and depression, increased physical and psychological tension and disturbed sleep causing individuals to have a reduction in performance and concentration. The physiological response is an immediate response to a stressful situation that is linked to heightened activity in the brain which causes sympathetic arousal and physiological changes. According to Selye's (1950) General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) there are three stages of response: alarm, resistance and exhaustion. Nevertheless GAS has been criticised as it focuses directly on the physiological outcomes of stress disregarding any emotional, cognitive and behavioural factors (Eysenck, 2004). However these indirect effects of stress can cause individuals to change their behavioural patterns which may have a detrimental or protective impact on their mental health. According to Jackson, Knight and Rafferty (2010) young black Americans had significantly less reported bouts of mental illness than young white Americans. They believed this was due to the coping strategies (smoking, drinking and taking drugs) employed by the black Americans helped to maintain or buffer their mental health.

Kovacs (2007) suggests that individuals adopt numerous methods to cope with stress. Researchers have put forward several different coping response models. Billings and Moss (1981), Amirkhan (1990) and Higgins and Endler (1995) all proposed three factor models of coping that focused on active behavioural and emotional responses along with avoidance techniques to coping with stress. Whereas Lazarus and Folkman (1984) defined two main forms of coping, problem-focused and emotion-focused, which concentrate on change to create a positive outcome? However Cassidy (1999) believes a more integrated model is needed that takes into account the demands of an individual's lifestyle, culture, environment, socio-economic status and historical background. This model recognises the different domains that are important in understanding how individuals cope with stressors and the affect it may have on their mental health.

A number of different factors can impact on an individual's ability to cope with the inevitable stressors they will encounter in everyday life. Barrett and Turner (2005) examined some of these factors when they studied a sample of young adults aged 19 to 25. These young adults were correlated into three presumed family types: socioeconomic status, levels of stress and family process. Their results revealed there were significantly higher levels of depression and mental health issues in the young adults with non-traditional family dynamics when compared to those who were raised in the traditional stereotypical mother father families. They concluded that family type had no direct affect on mental health but it did significantly raise the risk of experiencing it. They suggested certain preventative strategies including strengthening the family process and devising coping mechanisms in order to lessen the exposure to high stress levels.

A further study undertaken by Wolinsky, Wyrwich, Kroenke, et al (2003) considered the impact that 9-11 had on personal stress, mental health and sense of control. The results revealed the older, more affluent and religious individuals experienced a loss of control. This can be explained as the individuals concerned were able to personally relate to those who died in this tragedy as they were of a similar age, status and socio-economic background. According to Sutherland and Cooper (1990) a person's response to unavoidable stressors is an ever-evolving and transformational process. They believe that each stage of life is distinct; this causes individuals to be vulnerable and to develop different coping mechanism (or not) at