Stressor

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A stressor is a chemical or biological agent, environmental condition, external stimulus or an event seen as causing stress to an organism.^[1] Psychologically speaking, a stressor can be events or environments that individuals might consider demanding, challenging, and/or threatening individual safety.^[2]

Events or objects that may trigger a stress response may include:

• environmental stressors (hypo or hyper-thermic temperatures, elevated sound levels, over-illumination, overcrowding)
• daily "stress" events (e.g., traffic, lost keys, money, quality and quantity of physical activity)
• life changes (e.g., divorce, bereavement)
• workplace stressors (e.g., high job demand vs. low job control, repeated or sustained exertions, forceful exertions, extreme postures, office clutter^[3])
• chemical stressors (e.g., tobacco, alcohol, drugs)
• social stressors (e.g., societal and family demands)

Stressors can cause physical, chemical and mental responses internally. Physical stressors produce mechanical stresses on skin, bones, ligaments, tendons, muscles and nerves that cause tissue deformation and (in extreme cases) tissue failure. Chemical stresses also produce biomechanical responses associated with metabolism and tissue repair. Physical stressors may produce pain and impair work performance. Chronic pain and impairment requiring medical attention may result from extreme physical stressors or if there is not sufficient recovery time between successive exposures.^[4][5] Stressors may also affect mental function and performance. Mental and social stressors may affect behavior and how individuals respond to physical and chemical stressors.^[6]

Social and environmental stressors and the events associated with them can range from minor to traumatic. Traumatic events involve very debilitating stressors, and oftentimes these stressors are uncontrollable. Traumatic events can deplete an individual's coping resources to an extent where the individual may develop acute stress disorder or even post-traumatic stress disorder. People who have been abused, victimized, or terrorized are often more susceptible to stress disorders.^[7][8] Most stressor-stress relationships can be evaluated and determined - either by the individual or by a psychologist. Therapeutic measures are often taken to help replenish and rebuild the individual's coping resources while simultaneously aiding the individual in dealing with current stress.