Sources of stress: life changes and daily hassles
Stress can come from two main sources. Major life events — like divorce or bereavement — cause stress, and so do small, repeated everyday irritations like traffic jams or losing your keys.
Real World
After Princess Diana died in 1997, grief counsellors reported surges in stress-related referrals — a classic life-change stressor affecting millions simultaneously. By contrast, a daily commuter on the London Underground experiences chronic daily hassles that accumulate over months into significant health strain.
Exam Focus
Distinguish life changes from daily hassles by frequency and scale; examiners penalise answers that conflate the two.
Evaluation Scaffold
A four-step framework for high-quality evaluation. Use this for 'assess', 'evaluate', and 'to what extent' questions.
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