Causes of Stress

Causes of Stress

“Depression is among the leading causes of disability worldwide” (World Health Organization, n.d.). Stress has been the root cause and also the result of what people do these days. The Oxford Dictionary (2012), defines stress as a pressure or tension exerted on a material object. APA (2010) also elaborates various causes of stress such as money (76%), works (70%), relationship (55%), and personal safety (30%). Furthermore, stressors that usually occur in adults include work -related and social stressors.

Work-related stressors, as it happens mostly in adults, can be in form of overwork, low salary, and job insecurity. Leka, Griffiths, and Cox (n.d.) defines work-related stress as the response people may have when presented with work demands and pressures that are not matched do their knowledge and abilities and which challenge their ability to cope. Moreover, according to American Psychological Association (2011), work stress can be caused by several factors such as low salaries (20%), Lack of opportunity for growth or advancement (15%), too heavy work load (13%), unrealistic job expectations (13%), and long hours of working (12%).

Overwork can personally cause work-related stress in workers. Different from a normal work, overwork requires full attention as well as long-term. Hence, overwork forces our brain to work harder and longer. Furthermore, the tense from overwork will also affect the workers’ performance due to the physical and psychological reasons. People who are involved in though and continuous work will tend to have poorer health condition. This is because overwork encourages people to work beyond the capacity of their body and causes lack of rest. It is also supported by related issue about O2 Company that was charged nearly £110,000 to an accountant who suffered health problem due to excessive working hours and demanding workload. Aside from that, overwork can psychologically cause satiety of the work itself, which will lead to the decrease of working performance.

Low salary also causes work-related or organizational stress. Money has been the major reason why people seek for job. Hence, most people take money as the parameter of success. That idea even makes the level of income even more tangible as stressor. Ideally, level of income of a person is relative to the type and tense of the job. However, a medical research has been done to show the correlation. According to Cohen, Doyle, and Baum (2006), lower the income and education levels, the higher the levels of three stress hormones epinephrine, norepinephrine and cortisol. Moreover, low salary contributes to lower work satisfaction. Work satisfaction does matter since it measures how the hard work is paid – off. On the other words, high salary can be defined as high work satisfaction that will reduce the level of work – related stress.

Job insecurity adds more chances in being stressed by work. “Security is both a feeling and a reality” (Schneier, 2008). It is a humans’ nature that people will always try to avoid and prevent insecurity in their life. The hierarchy of needs, by Psychologist Abraham Maslow (1943), explains that people will be motivated to fulfil their basic needs before they move to more advanced needs. It is said that security and safety is on the basic needs right after physical requirement needs like food and water. That is why insecurity strongly affects people’s mental condition.  

            Social stressor that commonly occurs in adult can arise from family relationship and relationship with friends. Relation among the family members usually becomes the major concern of adults that might cause social stress. This is reasonable due to the survey done by the American Psychological Association (2011), that states that having a good relationship with family has the highest rate in importance (88%), and as well as achievement (68%) for parents. Since family is where someone is being grown up, it strongly influences someone’s behaviour and mental condition. The negative side of family relationship influence might result social stress.

      Negative relationships in a family, such as a divorce, will also affect someone’s psychologically in long term. “Family relationships provide a certain link to your past and future that you can't get elsewhere” (Scott, 2007). Leny, a 30 years-old woman, has experience being abused by her husband since the first time they got married. The trauma occurred from the abuse makes her, over the time, hates guys and turn into a lesbian after their divorce. The story describes how a family relationship might also result a deeper social stress in a person. According to Juliusdottir et al.(1995), effects of divorce on adults increased psychological problems amongst the divorcees and their children as well as radical changes in family relationships.

On the other hand, poor relationship with friends also causes social stress to adults due to several reasons. Firstly, since adults are more burdened with more responsibilities such as work and households activities, they spend less time to socialize. As stated by United States Department of Labour (2011), employed adults spend only 30 minutes a day to socialize with others. This minor yet constant reduce of relationship maintenance can lead someone to lose the sense of belonging and loneliness.

For most people, relationships with friends would not really bother them. However, as humans are social beings, being ‘isolated’ from the society will cause social stress. Oppositely, positive friend relationships will help people reduce stress. “Having an intimate relationship that encourages confiding in one another has the largest effect on attenuating stress outcomes.” (Lackey, n.d., p.3).

In the end of the day, stressors that are commonly experienced by adults include work-related stress and social stress. Overwork, low salary, and job insecurity can be classified as the roots of work-related stress. While social stress, might occurs from family relationships, and friend relationships. However, regardless the type and the trigger of the stress, it can affect the people both physical and psychologically. “Stress is the trash of modern life — we all generate it but if you don't dispose of it properly, it will pile up and overtake your life.” (Guillemets, 2012).

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  References

American Psychological Association (2011). Survey Summary American Psychological Association Harris Interactive March 2011. Stress in the Workplace, 14. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/phwa-survey-summary.pdf.

COHEN, S., DOYLE, W. J., & BAUM, A. Socioeconomic Status Is Associated With Stress Hormones. Retrieved from http://www.psy.cmu.edu/~scohen/ses_and_stress_hormones.pdf.

Family Relationships: Family Connection and Happiness. (n.d.). Stress and Stress Management - Causes, Symptoms, Stress Relief Tips and Stress Tests. Retrieved from http://stress.about.com/od/familystress/qt/family.htm

Johnsson, F. H., Njardvik, U., Olafsdottir, G., & Gretarsson, S. J. (2000). Parentla Divorce: Long - term effects on mental health, family relations and adults sexual behaviour.Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 41, 101-105. Retrieved from http://faculty.weber.edu/tlday/human.development/study1.pdf.

Leka , S., Griffiths, A., & Cox, T. (n.d.). Work Organization & Stress. Protecting Workers' Health Series, 3. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/occupational_health/publications/en/oehstress.pdf.

Nasurdin, A. M., Ramayah , T., & Kemaresan , S. (n.d.). ORGANIZATIONAL STRESSORS AND JOB STRESS AMONG MANAGERS: THE MODERATING ROLE OF NEUROTICISM . Retrieved from http://ramayah.com/journalarticlespdf/organizationalstressors.pdf.

Nowack, K. M., & Wimer, S. (n.d.). Organizational Stress Management: Survival Strategies for Turbulent Times. Retrieved from http://www.envisialearning.com/assets/resources/27/48-abstractFile.pdf?1269662163.

Schneier , B. (2008). The Psychology of Security. Retrieved from http://www.schneier.com/essay-155.html.

Sonnentag, S., & Frese, M. (n.d.). STRESS IN ORGANIZATIONS. Retrieved from http://bschool.nus.edu/Departments/ManagementNOrganization/publication/MichaelFreseJournal/sonnentag%20frese%20stress%20handbook%2003.pdf.

What Causes Stress in Adults? | eHow.com. (n.d.). eHow | How to Videos, Articles & More - Discover the expert in you. | eHow.com. Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/list_7296149_causes-stress-adults_.html