ABSTRACT
The customary introduction to stress suggests that it is still a matter of scientifi c debate, despite the fact that it is a common and infl uential state. It shares aspects of mind and body, representing a good instance of more holistic integration of these constructs. It is also a crosscutting process, infl uencing a wide array of illnesses, health behaviors, and aspects of health and well-being. Despite the general lack of a consensus on a precise defi nition of stress or the best approach to measuring it, there is considerable evidence to suggest that stress has important effects on physical and mental states, pathophysiology of disease, and performance (for reviews, see Baba, Jamal, & Tourigny, 1998; Juster, McEwen, & Lupien, 2010; Norris et al., 2002; Steptoe & Ayers, 2004). Major advances have been made during the last decade, particularly in our understanding of disease processes and the pathophysiological mechanisms that underlie the relationship between stress and health. This chapter considers conceptual models of stress, the broad array of behaviors and bodily systems involved in the stress response, and the impact of stress on chronic disease processes. Differences in the consequences of acute and chronic stress, as well as the implications of observed differences between them, are also explored.
