After 9/11, there was an increase of stress-related symptoms and diagnosable conditions in the time shortly following the attack. This led some researchers to wonder if traumatic evets could have large-scale mental health impacts.

Terrorism and Societal Trauma

To test if this phenomenon existed in other situations, researchers created an online survey sent to a few thousand participants after the Boston Marathon Bombings. Participants estimated the amount of time they spent watching content related to the attack, gave self-reported mental health scores, and answered if their daily life was impaired in anyway.

Further Investigation into Psychological Effect of Mass Media

Researchers found no direct correlation between media trauma and functional impairment, but they found that excessive exposure to traumatic content increased the likelihood of developing stress-related disorders. However, the effect may vary based on the exact content shown and the length of time spent viewing it.

Correlation Between Media Trauma and Impairment

There have been many studies of social media and the effects of prolonged use, but results have been varied. To help make conclusions, a meta-analysis was conducted to put all this information together.

A Meta-Analysis of Social Media's Effects

In recent years, access to media content has dramatically increased. Although this makes information more accessible, some studies indicate that exposure to traumatic images can lead to stress-related symptoms.

Michigan State University

- Negative Life Events 
- Perceived Stress
- Negative Affect
- Social Isolation
- Socioeconomic Status

Factors contributing to Stress

When a paper you read mentions a form of stress, add it here as a bullet point, then create a concept child node defining it. Also make sure to add your reference to this node.
- Emotional Stress
- Stress caused via media
- Climate Grief
- Oxidative Stress
- Covid-19 Pandemic Stress
- Time Stress
- Anticipatory Stress
- Situational Stress
- Encounter Stress
- Workplace/Academia Stress
- Gender-related Stress
- Chronic illness and Stress
- Physical stress
- Psychological stress
- Psychosocial stress
- Psycho-spiritual stress
- Generational stress/ Generational trauma

Types of Stress

Number of life events that negatively impacted the subject

Negative Life Events Definition in Terms of Stress

The degree of which situations in life are perceived as stressful due to its unpredictable, uncontrollable, and overloading nature

Perceived Stress Definition in Terms of Stress

The amount and intensity of negative emotions felt due to ocurring life events

Negative Affect Definition in Terms of Stress

Dealing with life stressors alone and refraining from interaction with others.

Social Isolation 

Media Exposure and Stress

- agitated, frustrated, and moody
- having the feeling of no control over anything
- struggling to quiet the mind or reduce any tension
- low self-esteem
- avoidance

Emotional Symptoms of Stress

Although not classified as a specific disorder, some researchers have begun to see that global warming is causing mental health problems for many people, especially those most affected by environmental destruction. This idea has been referred to as "climate grief." Climate grief most often manifests as some form of depression or anxiety.

Climate Grief

Oxidative stress is the imbalance of the manifestation of reactive oxygen species and the body’s ability to fix resulting damage or detoxify the reactive intermediates. This imbalance causes a disturbance in the cells that leads to a toxic effect that damages all components of the cell, including proteins, lipids and DNA.

Oxidative Stress

Although not a formal designation, workplace and/or educational settings are often large sources of stress in people's lives. Therefore, it is important we understand how these environments can impact a person's mental health to make these often hostile environments better.

Workplace/Academia Stress

Stress caused by worry about time or the lack of time one has to accomplish their obligations.

Time Stress

Stress caused by an upsetting situation one cannot control.

Situational Stress

Stress caused by anxiety surrounding seeing a specific person or group.

Encounter Stress

Stress caused by the anticipation of an event, assignment, or activity.

Anticipatory Stress

Stress caused by health concerns,  individual situations, and/or societal impacts of the Covid-19 virus. 

Covid-19 Pandemic Stress

Men and women have different stress resources and report different reactions to stress, both physically and mentally. 

Gender-related Stress

 A large percentage of people have Chronic Illness; the chronic illnesses have significant psychosocial ramifications for both the affected person and their family members. This in return creates new challenges for the field of psychology.


The Impacts of Chronic Illness

 (PTS) describes a general set of symptoms a person may suffer after enduring an intensely stressful situation. Some PTS symptoms are feeling afraid or nervous, increased heart rate, avoiding situations that remind of the traumatic incident, being distracted, having shaky hands, and having nightmares about the incident.

Posttraumatic Stress (PTS)

The feeling of psychological strain and uneasiness produced by situations of danger, threat, and loss of personal security or by internal conflicts, frustrations, loss of self-esteem, and grief. Also called emotional tension.

Emotional Stress

Interpersonal stress during adolescence affects adult mental health. During adolescence individuals form their ethnic-racial identity, pursue romantic relationships, and become more independent. Immigrants specifically may face discrimination and language barriers. 

Interpersonal Stress During Adolescence

Physical stress refers to the strain that is placed on the body as a result of physical activity or exposure to environmental factors such as extreme heat, cold, or altitude. Examples of physical stressors include exercise, manual labor, illness, injury, and exposure to environmental toxins. Physical stress can have both positive and negative effects on the body.

Physical stress

Psychological stress refers to the emotional and mental strain that individuals experience as a result of challenging or demanding situations. Psychological stress can arise from a variety of sources, such as work or school pressures, relationship problems, financial difficulties, or traumatic life events. The experience of psychological stress can trigger the body's stress response, which can have both immediate and long-term effects on physical and mental health. 

Psychological stress

Psychosocial stress refers to the stress that arises from the interaction between social and psychological factors. Psychosocial stressors can include events such as relationship problems, discrimination, or social isolation, as well as internal experiences such as low self-esteem or anxiety. Psychosocial stressors can have a profound impact on an individual's mental and physical health, as they often involve a sense of threat to one's well-being or identity. 

Psychosocial Stress

Psycho-spiritual stress refers to the stress that arises from the interaction between psychological and spiritual factors. This type of stress can be triggered by a variety of experiences, such as a crisis of faith, existential concerns, or a sense of disconnection from one's values or purpose. Psycho-spiritual stress can have a significant impact on an individual's mental and emotional well-being, as it often involves a deep questioning of one's beliefs and values.

Psychospiritual Stress

Generational stress, or generational trauma, is the psychological effects experienced by descendants of those with severe and unresolved trauma.

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