Contemporary Perspectives on Stress Management: Medication, Meditation or Mitigation

Abstract

Stressful life events can increase the risk for developing a variety of physical disorders and emotional problems. A biopsychosocial approach can help mental health professions to better understand and more effectively treat disorders that are related to severe negative life events. Biological approaches focus on suppressing emotional reactions, usually through a reliance on psychopharmacological interventions. Psychological approaches usually focus on the cognitive processes that translate stress into distress. Psychological interventions focus on changing the negative attitudes and maladaptive behaviors that aggravate most stressful situations. Social interventions focus on improving social support and involvement with agencies to confront limited finances, unemployment, and housing problems. In these times of economic crisis and severe financial hardship, psychological and social intervention strategies appear more useful than biological treatments.