Stress - Risk Factors

Childhood Factors

Children are frequent victims of stress because they are often unable to communicate their feelings accurately or their responses to events over which they have no control. (Certain physical symptoms, notably recurrent abdominal pain without a known cause, may be indicators of stress in children.)

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Various conditions can affect their susceptibility to stress.

Low Birth Weight. A 2002 study reported that low birth weight plus slow growth up until age seven was related to stress in adulthood. It appears that children who compensated for the low birth weight with higher weight gain after birth did not have as high risk for stress later on.

Parental Stress. Parental stress, particularly in mothers, is a particularly powerful source of stress in children, even more important than poverty or overcrowding. In a 2002 study, for example, young children of mothers who were highly stressed (particularly if they were depressed) tended to be at high risk for developing stress-related problem, particularly if the mothers were stressed during both the child's infancy and early years. There is even some evidence to support the old idea that stress during pregnancy can have adverse effects on the infant's mood and behavior. Older children with stressed mothers may become aggressive and anti-social. One study suggested that stress-reduction techniques in parents may improve their children's behavior.

Gender Differences in Adolescent Stress. Adolescent boys and girls experience equal amounts of stress, but the source and effects may differ. Girls tend to become stressed from interpersonal situations, and stress is more likely to lead to depression in girls than in boys. For boys, however, specific events, such as changing schools or poor grades, appear to be the major sources of stress.

Work and Stress

In a 1999 study of 46,000 workers, health care costs were 147% higher in workers who were stressed or depressed than in others who were not. Furthermore, according to one survey, 40% of American workers describe their jobs as very stressful, making job-related stress an important and preventable health hazard. In fact, a number of studies are now suggesting that job-related stress is as great a threat to health as smoking or not exercising. Stress impairs concentration, causes sleeplessness, and increases the risk for illness, back problems, accidents, and lost time. Work stress can lead to harassment or even violence while on the job. At its most extreme, chronic stress places a burden on the heart and circulation that in extreme cases may be fatal. The Japanese even have a word for sudden death due to overwork, karoushi.