Stress and Illness Essay Example
Stress and Illness Essay Example

Stress and Illness Essay Example

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Several studies have been conducted to confirm Friedman's claim from 2002 (p.114) that there is a connection between the onset of illness and life events, where an increase in life events can raise the likelihood of becoming sick.

Despite extensive research in the field, there are still limitations in understanding life changes. The degree of stress experienced by an individual is influenced by the type of life events encountered. To quantify these changes, experts created the Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS), which encompasses both positive and negative events. A common method used to evaluate a year's worth of life change involves using a checklist of various life events.

According to Friedman's (2002, p. 114) study, the Schedule of Recent Experience (SRE) is a list of events that require changes in one's lifestyle. The concepts of SRRS and SRE have been utilized in both retros

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pective and prospective studies, revealing a significant correlation between changes in life circumstances and unexpected health issues like heart attacks, accidents, injuries, and various medical complaints (Friedman, 2002,p.115).

While some have observed that the size of life changes can impact the recovery of specific patients, research on this topic has been heavily criticized for its limitations (Friedman, 2002, p. 115-116). This is due to a tendency to seek out stress factors as an explanation for past events when examining previous cases.

While some studies propose that non-life event factors may be more accurate predictors of illness, the SRE highlights specific life events as potential indicators. Nonetheless, the life-change approach has limitations such as its emphasis on negative impacts and lack of consideration for individuals who undergo significant changes but remain healthy.

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