CHAPTER 3

Meeting Everyday Life Challenges

What is Stress?
Stress is defined as the pattern of responses an organism makes to stimulus, events that disturbs the
equilibrium and exceeds a person’s ability to cope.
Eustress - The level of stress that is good for us and is one of a person’s assets for achieving peak
performance and managing minor crisis.
Distress - Eustress however, has the potential of tuning into distress. It is the latter manifestations of
stress that causes our bodies wear and tear.
Nature of Stress
Origin of the Word
From Latin word ‘strictus’meaning tight or narrow and ‘stringere’ the verb meaning to tighten.
Therefore, stress means internal feelings of tightness and constriction of the muscles and breathing.
Appraisal of Stress
Stress is not a factor hat resides in the individual or the environment. It is embedded in an ongoing
process that involves individuals transacting with their social and cultural environments.
Stress is a dynamic mental/cognitive state. The perception of stress is dependent upon the individual’s
cognitive appraisal of events and the resources available to them.
Lazarus
Primary and secondary appraisal
Distinguish between two types of appraisal.
Primary Appraisal
It is an initial evaluation of whether an event in terms of its effect is :
● Irrelevant to you (Neutral )

● Relevant but not threatening (Neutral)

● Irrelevant but Useful (Positive)

● Stressful (Negative)
Negative events are appraised for their –
● Harm (The assessment of damage already done)

● Threat (Assessment of future damage)

● Challenge (Associated with more confident expectations of the ability to cope up with the
stressful event or even to profit from the event.
Secondary Appraisal
Done only when we perceive an event as stressful. It is the assessment of one’s coping abilities and
resources and whether the will be sufficient to meet the harm, threat or challenge of the event.
Example: If you have to appear for a college admission interview, your primary appraisal would
determine whether you view this particular interview as stressful or not. Your secondary appraisal
would demine whether you have the ability to deal with it.
Factors influencing appraisals of Potentially Stressful Events:
A. Stressors
Types:
● Environmental

● Psychological

● Social

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Dimensions:
1) Intesity/Serverity- can range from micro stressors, the daily hassels to very severe stressors
, catastrophic events or major negative events.
2) DURATION :- Short term / long term
3) Complexity
4) Predictability ( unexpected / predicted )
5) Controllability- weather one has mastery / control over a sitation. A person who believes
That he can control the onset of negative situation or its adverse consequences , will
experience
Less amount of stress.
Types of Stressors
1) Physical and Environmental Stress
Physical Stress- Those that change the state of our body. Eg:-
● When we over-exert physically

● Lack of nutritional diet

● Suffer an injury

● Fail to get enough sleep

Environmental Stress- aspects of our surrounding that are unavoidable. Eg:-
● Air pollution

● Crowding

● Noise

● Heat/winter cold etc.

● Catastrophic events or disasters such as earthquakes, fires, floods etc.

2) Social Stress- induced externally and results from our interaction with other people. Eg:-
● Social events like death or illness in the family

● Strained relationships

● Trouble with neighbours

These stresses vary from person to person.
3. Psychological Stress- These are stresses that we generate ourselves in our minds.
These are:
1. Personal
2. Unique to the person experiencing
3. Internal sources of stress
Example-
1) We worry about problems
2) Feel anxiety
3) Become depressed
These are not only symptoms but cause further stress
Types of psychological Stress

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Frustration conflict Internal pressures Social pressures

blocking of Conflict occurs These stem from Stem from excessive

needs/motives by between two or more beliefs based upon demands on us brought
something or someone. compatible expectations from about from people.
It hinders us from needs/motive inside as to
achieving a desired ourselves such as Example
goal. Should I or Shouldn’t “I must do
I? 1) Parents/teachers
everything perfectly.
Example (Causes) making excessive
These can lead to
Example demands on
disappointment.
1) Traffic jams children.
2) Social 1) Tennis or 2) Personality
Example
discrimination studies? clashes/interperson
3) Interpersonal 2) Degrading 1) Pressures al difficulties.
hurt, failures job or from school
(low grade), unemployme 2) Family
losses nt relations
3) Conflicts of 3) Peer
values relations
4) Intimate
relations

B. PERSON CHARACTERSTICS:
1) PHYSIOLOGICAL – physical health
-constitutional vulnarabilities ( tendencies to fall sick )
2) CULTURAL-Cultural definatins and meanings
-expected response style.
3) Psychological – mental health
-- temperament- hardiness, optimism, finding meaning in
stressful events
-- Self Concept-coping, self efficacy
C. RESOURCES

RESOURCES
Physical
-Money, Medical care etc

Personal
- Skills, Coping style

EFFECTS OF STRESS ON PSYCHOLOGICAL FUNCTIONING AND HEALTH /

RESPONSES TO STRESS
People’s response to stress is complex and multi dimensional. Stress affects individuals at several
levels
⮚ Emotional Effects

⮚ Physiological Effects

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 ⮚ Behavioral Effects

⮚ Cognitive Effects
Emotional Effects: When people are under stress they often respond emotionally. More often than
not, stress tends to elicit unpleasant emotions rather than pleasurable ones. People under stress are
likely to experience mood swings and show erratic behavior that may alienate them from family and
friends. It can also lead to decreasing confidence and more serious emotional problems.
Emotions commonly elicited
⮚ Annoyance, Anger, Rage

⮚ Apprehension, Anxiety, Fear

⮚ Dejection, Sadness, Grief, Depression

⮚ Increased physical and psychological tension

⮚ Mood swings

Physiological Effects : When the human body is placed under physical or psychological stress, it
increases the production of certain hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol. These hormones
produce marked changes in heart rate, blood pressure levels, metabolism and physical activity.
Although, this physical reaction will help us to function more effectively when we are under pressure
for short periods of time, it can be extremely damaging to the body in the long-term effects. Examples
of physiological effects are release of epinephrine and nor - epinephrine, slowing down of the
digestive system, expansion of air passages in the lungs, increased heart rate, and constriction of
blood vessels
Behavioural effects
� Eating less nutritional food

� Increasing intake of stimulants such as caffeine, cigarettes, alcohol, drugs such as

tranquilizers etc.
� Tranquilizers are addictive and can lead to
1. Loss of concentration
2. Poor coordination
3. Dizziness
� Disrupted sleep patterns

� Increased absenteeism

� Reduced work performance

�
Cognitive Effects : If pressures due to stress continue, one may suffer from mental overload. This
suffering from high level of stress can rapidly cause individuals to lose their ability to make sound
decisions. Faulty decisions made at home, in career, or at workplace may lead to arguments, failure,
financial loss or even loss of job. Cognitive effects of stress are poor concentration, and reduced
short-term memory capacity.

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 SOURCES OF STRESS

Life Events: Hassel: Traumatic life events

Changes (big and small and gradual) Happenings of daily life Being involved in extreme events
� Eg: Eg: Eg:

� Death of spouse or family member Noisy surroundings

� Divorce Communicating Road accident

� Marriage Quarrelsome neighbours robbery

� Unemployment Electricity or water shortage Earthquake

� Beginning or ending of school Traffic snarls Tsunami or floods

� Change in residence or school Not getting enough sleep REACTIONS

� Son or daughter leaving school Too many tasks to attend to Initially they react with shock,

� Change to different line of work Troubling thoughts about future dazed or stunned, emotionally

� Break up with friend Misplacing or losing things numb often unaware of their

� If too many changes happen in a The more stress people report as a injuries. As victims begin to
short term it becomes difficult to a daily hassle, the poorer is their recover it is replaced by
cope. psychological well being. generalized anxiety. They
may have
flashbacks, dreams,
intrusive thoughts,
compulsive need to talk and
professional help may be needed
Stress and Health
A. Chronic daily stress can divert an individual’s attention from caring for herself or himself. When stress
is prolonged, it affects physical health and impairs psychological functioning.
▪ People experience exhaustion and attitudinal problems when the stress due to demands from the
environment and constraints are too high and little support is available from family and friends.
▪ The physical exhaustion is seen in the signs of chronic fatigue, weakness and low energy.

▪ The mental exhaustion appears in the form of irritability, anxiety, feelings of helplessness and
hopelessness.
▪ This state of physical, emotional and psychological exhaustion is known as burnout.
B. There is also convincing evidence to show that stress can produce changes in the immune system and
increase the chances of someone becoming ill.
C. Stress has been implicated in the development of cardiovascular disorders, high blood pressure, as well
as psychosomatic disorders including ulcers, asthma, allergies and headaches.

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 D.Researchers estimate that stress plays an important role in fifty to seventy per cent of all physical
illnesses. Studies also reveal that sixty per cent of medical visits are primarily for stress-related symptoms.

General Adaptation Syndrome ( GAS )

● Selye studied the effect of long term stress on health by subjecting animals to a variety of stressors
such as high temperature, X-rays and insulin injections, in the laboratory over a long period of time.
● He also observed patients with various injuries and illnesses in hospitals.

● Selye noticed a similar pattern of bodily response in all of them. He called this pattern the General
Adaptation Syndrome (GAS). According to him, GAS involves three stages: alarm reaction,
resistance, and exhaustion (see Fig.3.3).
1. Alarm reaction stage : The presence of a noxious stimulus or stressor leads to activation of the
adrenal-pituitary-cortex system. This triggers the release of hormones producing the stress
response. Now the individual is ready for fight or flight.
2. Resistance stage : If stress is prolonged, the resistance stage begins. The para-sympathetic
nervous system calls for more cautious use of the body’s resources. The organism makes efforts
to cope with the threat, as through confrontation.
3. Exhaustion stage : Continued exposure to the same stressor or additional stressors drains the
body of its resources and leads to the third stage of exhaustion. The physiological systems
involved in alarm reaction and resistance become ineffective and susceptibility to stress-related
diseases such as high blood pressure becomes more likely.

Criticism
● Selye’s model has been criticised for assigning a very limited role to psychological factors in stress.
● Researchers have reported that the psychological appraisal of events is important for the determination of
stress.
● How people respond to stress is substantially influenced by their perceptions, personalities and biological
constitutions.

Stress and the Immune System

▪ Stress can cause illness by impairing the works of the immune system.

▪ Immune system is a system of cells within the body that is involved in fighting diseases.

▪ Psychoneuroimmunology is the study of the effects of stress and other psychological factors on the
immune system.
How Does The Immune System Work?
The key components of the immune system are White Blood Cells known as LYMPHOCYCTES which
destroy foreign bodies (ANTIGENS) such as viruses. There are several types of lymphocytes/leucocytes
within the body which are –

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 ● T Cells – Destroy Invaders

● T Helpers – Increase Immunological Activities (These are attacked by HIV, which causes
AIDS)
● B Cells – Produce Antibodies

● Natural Killer Cells – Involved in the fight against both viruses and tumo
What happens to the immune system during stress
▪ Stress can affect natural killer cell cytotoxicity, which is of major importance in the defence against
various infections and cancer. Reduced levels of natural killer cell cytotoxicity have been found in people
who are highly stressed, including students facing important examinations, bereaved persons, and those
who are severely depressed.
▪ Studies reveal that immune functioning is better in individuals receiving social support.

▪ Also, changes in the immune system will have more effect on health among those whose immune systems
are already weakened. The figure below depicts this sequence comprising negative emotions, release of
stress hormones which lead to weakening of the immune system, thereby affecting mental and physical
health.

Relation between lifestyle and stress

▪ Stress can lead to unhealthy lifestyle or health damaging behaviour

▪ Lifestyle is the overall pattern of decisions and behaviours that determine a person’s health and
quality of life.
▪ Stressed individuals may be more likely to expose themselves to pathogens, which are agents causing
physical illness.
▪ People who are stressed have poor nutritional habits, sleep less and are likely to engage in other
health risking behaviours like smoking and alcohol abuse. Such health impairing behaviours develop
gradually and are accompanied by pleasant experiences temporarily. However, we tend to ignore their
long-term damaging effects and underestimate the risk they pose to our lives.
▪ The modern lifestyle of excesses in eating, drinking and the so called fast-paced good life has led to
violation of basic principles of health in some of us, as to what we eat, think or do with our lives.
▪ Studies have revealed that health promoting behaviour like balanced diet, regular exercise, family
support, etc. play an important role in good health. Adhering to a lifestyle that includes balanced low
fat diet, regular exercise and continued activity along with positive thinking enhances health and

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longevity.
What is coping ?
● Coping is a dynamic situation-specific reaction to stress. It is a set of concrete responses to
stressful situations or events that are intended to resolve the problem and reduce stress.
● The way we cope with stress often depends on rigid deep-seated beliefs, based on experience,
e.g. when caught in a traffic jam we feel angry, because we believe that the traffic ‘should’
move faster.
● To manage stress we often need to reassess the way we think and learn coping strategies.

● People who cope poorly with stress have an impaired immune response and diminished
activity of natural killer cells.
Coping Strategies
Individuals show consistent individual differences in the coping strategies they use to handle stressful
situations. These can include both overt and covert activities.
Endler and Parker :The three coping strategies given by Endler and Parker are:
1. Task-oriented Strategy :
● This involves obtaining information about the stressful situation and about alternative courses
of action and their probable outcome;
● it also involves deciding priorities and acting so as to deal directly with the stressful situation.

● For example, schedule my time better, or think about how I have solved similar problems.
2. Emotion-oriented Strategy :
● This can involve efforts to maintain hope and to control one’s emotions;

● it can also involve venting feelings of anger and frustration, or deciding that nothing can be
done to change things.
● For example, tell myself that it is not really happening to me, or worry about what I am going
to do.
3. Avoidance-oriented Strategy :
● This involves denying or minimising the seriousness of the situation;

● it also involves conscious suppression of stressful thoughts and their replacement by self-
protective thoughts.
● Examples of this are watching TV, phone up a friend, or try to be with other people.
Lazarus and Folkman
● According to Lazarus and Folkman, coping is a dynamic process rather than an individual
trait. Coping refers to constantly changing cognitive and behavioural efforts to master,
reduce or tolerate the internal or external demands that are created by the stressful
transaction. Coping serves to allow the individual to manage or alter a problem and regulate
the emotional response to that problem.
● According to them coping responses can be divided into two types of responses.
1. Problem-focused strategies : They attack the problem itself, with behaviours designed
to gain information, to alter the event, and to alter belief and commitments. They

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 increase the person’s awareness, level of knowledge, and range of behavioural and
cognitive coping options. They can act to reduce the threat value of the event. For
example “I made a plan of action and followed it”.
2. Emotion-focused strategies : They call for psychological changes designed primarily to
limit the degree of emotional disruption caused by an event, with minimal effort to alter
the event itself. For example “I did some things to let it out of my system”.
While both problem-focused and emotion-focused coping are necessary when facing
stressful situations, research suggests that people generally tend to use the former more
often than the latter.
Stress Management Techniques

Due to lifestyle changes stress is on the increase. Therefore, schools, other institutions, offices and
communities are concerned about knowing techniques to manage stress. Some of these techniques
are:
1.Relaxation Techniques :
● It is an active skill that reduces symptoms of stress and decreases the incidence of illnesses
such as high blood pressure and heart disease.
● Usually relaxation starts from the lower part of the body and progresses up to the facial
muscles in such a way that the whole body is relaxed. Deep breathing is used along with
muscle relaxation to calm the mind and relax the body.
2.Meditation Procedures :
● The yogic method of meditation consists of a sequence of learned techniques for refocusing
of attention that brings about an altered state of consciousness.
● It involves such a thorough concentration that the meditator becomes unaware of any outside
stimulation and reaches a different state of consciousness.
3,Biofeedback :
● It is a procedure to monitor and reduce the physiological aspects of stress by providing
feedback about current physiological activity and is often accompanied by relaxation training.
● Clinical biofeedback combines sophisticated technology and various forms of relaxation.

● Biofeedback training involves three stages :.

(i) developing an awareness of the particular physiological response, e.g. heart rate,
(ii) learning ways of controlling that physiological response in quiet conditions; and
(iii) transferring that control into the conditions of everyday life. After much practice with
biofeedback instrumentation, the individual then transfers the new skill to the office,
car, or wherever he/she experiences the sensations of stress, by practicing the
relaxation technique without using the equipment.
4.Creative Visualisation :
● Creative visualisation is a subjective experience that uses imagery and imagination.

● Stress management therapists have concluded that in the face of stress, imagination can be an
asset.
● Creative visualization is a mental technique that uses the imagination to make dreams and
goals come true. By visualizing a certain event, situation, or an object, you attract it into our
life. It is a process that is similar to daydreaming.

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 ● Before visualising one must set oneself a realistic goal, as it helps build confidence.

● It is easier to visualise if one’s mind is quiet, body relaxed and eyes are closed. This reduces
the risk of interference from unbidden thoughts and provides the creative energy needed for
turning an imagined scene into reality.
● Creative visualization is frequently used by athletes to enhance their performance. A golfer
may picture in their mind the perfect swing over and over again. This will mentally train the
muscle memory.
5.Cognitive Behavioural Techniques : (Stress Inoculation Training )
● These techniques aim to inoculate people against stress. Stress inoculation training is one
effective method developed by Meichenbaum.
● The essence of this approach is to replace negative and irrational thoughts with positive and
rational ones.
● There are three main phases in this :
(i) Assessment: Assessment involves discussing the nature of the problem and seeing it
from the viewpoint of the person/client. The therapist helps the individual to identify
their stressors and how they respond to these and how successful these responses
have been. Patterns of self-defeating internal dialogue are identified.
(ii) Stress reduction techniques: It involves learning the techniques of reducing stress
such as relaxation and self-instruction. The therapist also helps the individual to
develop and practice positive coping statements to be used in stressful situations.
(iii) application and follow-through. The individual begins to apply the newly acquired
skills to progressively more difficult situations in the real world
6. Exercise :
● Exercise can provide an active outlet for the physiological arousal experienced in response to
stress.
● Regular exercise improves the efficiency of the heart, enhances the function of the lungs,
maintains good circulation, lowers blood pressure, reduces fat in the blood and improves the
body’s immune system.
● Swimming, walking, running, cycling, skipping, etc. help to reduce stress.

● One must practice these exercises at least four times a week for 30 minutes at a time. Each
session must have a warm-up, exercise and cool down phases.
Stress Resistant Personality : (hardiness, 3Cs)
● Recent studies by Kobasa have shown that people with high levels of stress but low levels of
illness share three characteristics, which are referred to as the personality traits of hardiness.
It consists of ‘the three Cs’, i.e. commitment, control, and challenge.
● Hardiness is a set of beliefs about oneself, the world, and how they interact. It takes shape as
a sense of personal commitment to what you are doing, a sense of control over your life, and
a feeling of challenge. Stress resistant personalities have control which is a sense of purpose
and direction in life; commitment to work, family, hobbies and social life; and challenge,
that is, they see changes in life as normal and positive rather than as a threat.
● Everyone does not have these characteristics, many of us have to relearn specific life skills in

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 areas such as rational thinking, and assertiveness to equip ourselves better to cope with the
demands of everyday life, etc.
Life Skills

● Life skills are abilities for adaptive and positive behaviour that enable individuals to deal
effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life.
● Our ability to cope depends on how well we are prepared to deal with and counterbalance
everyday demands, and keep equilibrium in our lives.
● These life skills can be learned and even improved upon.

1. Assertiveness :
● Assertiveness is a behaviour or skill that helps to communicate, clearly and confidently, our
feelings, needs, wants, and thoughts.
● It is the ability to say no to a request, to state an opinion without being self-conscious, or to
express emotions such as love, anger, etc. openly.
● If you are assertive, you feel confident, and have high self-esteem and a solid sense of your
own identity.
2.Time Management :
● The way you spend your time determines the quality of your life. Learning how to plan time
and delegate can help to relieve the pressure.
● The major way to reduce time stress is to change one’s perception of time. The central
principle of time management is to spend your time doing the things that you value, or that
help you to achieve your goals.
● It depends on being realistic about what you know and that you must do it within a certain
time period, knowing what you want to do, and organising your life to achieve a balance
between the two.
3.Rational Thinking :
● Many stress-related problems occur as a result of distorted thinking.

● The way you think and the way you feel are closely connected. When we are stressed, we
have an inbuilt selective bias to attend to negative thoughts and images from the past, which
affect our perception of the present and the future.
● Some of the principles of rational thinking are:
(i) challenging your distorted thinking and irrational beliefs,
(ii) driving out potentially intrusive negative anxiety-provoking thoughts, and
(iii) making positive statements.
4. Improving Relationships :
● The key to a sound lasting relationship is communi-cation. This consists of three essential
skills:
(i) listening to what the other person is saying,
(ii) expressing how you feel and what you think, and accepting the other person’s
opinions and feelings, even if they are different from your own.

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 (iii) It also requires us to avoid misplaced jealousy and sulking behaviour.
5.Self-care :
● If we keep ourselves healthy, fit and relaxed, we are better prepared physically and
emotionally to tackle the stresses of everyday life.
● Our breathing patterns reflect our state of mind and emotions. When we are stressed or
anxious, we tend towards rapid and shallow breathing from high in the chest, with frequent
sighs. The most relaxed breathing is slow, stomach-centred breathing from the diaphragm, i.e.
a dome like muscle between the chest and the abdominal cavity.
● Environmental stresses like noise, pollution, space, light, colour, etc. can all exert an
influence on our mood. These have a noticeable effect on our ability to cope with stress, and
well-being.

6.Overcoming Unhelpful Habits :

● Unhelpful habits such as perfectionism, avoidance, procrastination, etc. are strategies that
help to cope in the short-term but which make one more vulnerable to stress.
● Perfectionists are persons who have to get everything just right. They have difficulty in
varying standards according to factors such as time available, consequences of not being able
to stop work, and the effort needed. They are more likely to feel tense and find it difficult to
relax, are critical of self and others, and may become inclined to avoid challenges.
● Avoidance is to put the issue under the carpet and refuse to accept or face it.

● Procrastination means putting off what we know we need to do. We all are guilty of saying
“I will do it later”. People who procrastinate are deliberately avoiding confronting their fears
of failure or rejection.
Positive Health and Well Being
● What is Health ? Health is a state of complete physical, mental, social and spiritual well-
being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity
● What is positive health ? a healthy body; high quality of personal relationships; a sense of
purpose in life; self-regard, mastery of life’s tasks; and resilience to stress, trauma, and
change”
Factors facilitating positive health
1.Diet :
● A balanced diet can lift one’s mood, give more energy, feed muscles, improve circulation,
prevent illness, strengthen the immune system and make one feel better to cope with stresses of
life.
● The key to healthy living is to eat three main meals a day, and eat a varied well-balanced diet.

● How much nutrition one needs depends on one’s activity level, genetic make-up, climate, and
health history. What people eat, and how much do they weigh involve behavioural processes.
Some people are able to maintain a healthy diet and weight while others become obese.
● When we are stressed, we seek ‘comfort foods’ which are high in fats, salt and sugar.
2. Exercise :

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 ● A large number of studies confirm a consistently positive relationship between physical fitness
and health. Also, of all the measures an individual can take to improve health, exercise is the
lifestyle change with the widest popular approval. Regular exercise plays an important role in
managing weight and stress, and is shown to have a positive effect on reducing tension, anxiety
and depression.
● Physical exercises that are essential for good health are stretching exercises such as yogic asanas
and aerobic exercises such as jogging, swimming, cycling, etc. Whereas stretching exercises
have a calming effect, aerobic exercises increase the arousal level of the body.
● The health benefits of exercise work as a stress buffer. Studies suggest that fitness permits
individuals to maintain general mental and physical well-being even in the face of negative life
events.
3. Positive Attitude :
● Positive health and well-being can be realised by having a positive attitude.

● Some of the factors leading to a positive attitude are:

(i) having a fairly accurate perception of reality;
(ii) a sense of purpose in life and responsibility;
(iii) acceptance and tolerance for different viewpoints of others; and taking credit for success
and accepting blame for failure.
(iv) Finally, being open to new ideas and having a sense of humour with the ability to laugh
at oneself help us to remain centred, and see things in a proper perspective.

4.Positive Thinking :
● The power of positive thinking has been increasingly recognised in reducing and coping with
stress.
Optimism, which is the inclination to expect favourable life outcomes, has been linked to
psychological and physical well-being. People differ in the manner in which they cope. For example,
optimists tend to assume that adversity can be handled successfully whereas pessimists anticipate
disasters. Optimists use more problem-focused coping strategies, and seek advice and help from
others. Pessimists ignore the problem or source of stress, and use strategies such as giving up the goal
with which stress is interfering or denying that stress exists.
5.Social Support :
● Social support is defined as the existence and availability of people on whom we can rely upon,
people who let us know that they care about, value, and love us. Someone who believes that
s/he belongs to a social network of communication and mutual obligation experiences social
support.
● Perceived support, i.e. the quality of social support is positively related to health and well-
being, whereas social network, i.e. the quantity of social support is unrelated to well-being,
because it is very time-consuming and demanding to maintain a large social network.
● Studies have revealed that women exposed to life event stresses, who had a close friend, were
less likely to be depressed and had lesser medical complications during pregnancy.
Social support can help to provide protection against stress. People with high levels of social
support from family and friends may experience less stress when they confront a stressful

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 experience, and they may cope with it more successfully.
● Forms/types of social support :
(i) Tangible Support : Social support may be in the form of tangible support or
assistance involving material aid, such as money, goods, services, etc. For example, a
child gives notes to her/his friend, since s/he was absent from school due to sickness.
(ii) Informational Support : Family and friends also provide informational support
about stressful events. For example, a student facing a stressful event such as a
difficult board examination, if provided information by a friend who has faced a
similar one, would not only be able to identify the exact procedures involved, but also
it would facilitate in determining what resources and coping strategies could be useful
to successfully pass the examination.
(iii) Emotional Support :During times of stress, one may experience sadness, anxiety,
and loss of self-esteem. Supportive friends and family provide emotional support by
reassuring the individual that she/he is loved, valued, and cared for.
● Research has demonstrated that social support effectively reduces psychological distress such
as depression or anxiety, during times of stress. There is growing evidence that social support
is positively related to psychological well-being. Generally, social support leads to mental
health benefits for both the giver and the receiver.

(All the boxes to be done from the book)

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