Stress and Mental Illness

Abstract

Abstract Social scientific research has highlighted that stressful experiences, social statuses, and environments contribute to the development of mental illness. Sociologists have contributed to our knowledge with social stress theory, which acknowledges levels of exposure to stress and access to coping resources. Numerous studies have used the social stress process model to explain the link between social inequality and mental health disparities. This model is the basis for social stress theory. According to social stress theory, people with disadvantaged social status are more likely to be exposed to stressors and to be more vulnerable to stress because they have limited psychosocial coping resources; these in turn lead to a higher risk of mental illness. Sociological studies have further revealed that chronic stressors have a more harmful influence on mental health than acute stressors, such as life events. Therefore, chronic stressors should be taken into account, as well as the number of stressful life events, in assessing exposure and mental health risk. This entry will discuss key advances in the social scientific literature on stress and mental illness.