Definition and Description
Social stress can be broadly defined as a perceived threat that is based on one’s relation to or association with another person or group of people. There is great variability in the types of social stress that one may experience. It can arise from interpersonal interactions, such as those with family members, friends, professional colleagues, and strangers; from evaluated performances, including giving a speech in front of an audience; from sharing an experience with someone, such as patients and caregivers dealing with a chronic illness; or from group, community, or societal dynamics, for instance, one’s socioeconomic or professional status within a community or society.
Different types of social stress can lead to a range of observable and measurable responses. For instance, socially evaluated performances may lead to negative emotions and self-conscious thoughts. Severe interpersonal social...
References and Further Reading
Dickerson, S. S., & Kemeny, M. E. (2004). Acute stressors and cortisol responses: A theoretical integration and synthesis of laboratory research. Psychological Bulletin, 130, 355–391.
Juth, V., Silver, R. C., & Sender, L. (2015a). The shared experience of adolescent and young adult cancer patients and their caregivers. Psycho-Oncology, 24, 1746–1753.
Juth, V., Smyth, J. M., Carey, M., & Lepore, S. (2015b). Social constraints are associated with negative psychological and physical adjustment in bereavement. Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being, 7, 129–148.
Miller, G., Chen, E., & Cole, S. W. (2009). Health psychology: Developing biologically plausible models linking the social world and physical health. Annual Review of Psychology, 60, 501–524.
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Juth, V., Dickerson, S. (2018). Social Stress. In: Gellman, M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6439-6_283-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6439-6_283-2
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