Let's Talk about Stress: History of Stress Research

Abstract

The reference to stress is ubiquitous in modern society, yet it is a relatively new field of research. The following article provides an overview of the history of stress research and its iterations over the last century. In this article, I provide an overview of the earliest stress research and theories introduced through physiology and medicine and eventually as a concept in psychology. I begin with an exploration of the research of biological stressors 1st explored by experimental physiologist Claude Bernard and eventually adopted as a foundational concept in stress research when Walter Cannon expanded on Bernard's work and identified homeostasis. The contributions of Hans Selye, considered the father of stress research; Sir William Osler; Yerkes and Dodson; and Richard Lazarus are also discussed. Finally, I discuss how, in the new millennium, research on psychological stress has expanded across disciplines ranging from physiology to medicine, chemistry, endocrinology, neurosciences, epidemiology, psychiatry, epigenetics, and psychology, reflecting the complexity of the construct both theoretically and biologically.