Title: A Psychological Overview of Stress

High stress levels pose major problems in today's modern society, therefore, it is of critical importance to increase awareness and advance research in this area. Any advances made could be instrumental in identifying and helping those suffering from stress and related illnesses thus improving levels of mental health throughout society. It is the aim of this essay to give an overview of stress from a psychological perspective, exploring the causes, consequences and possible solutions to the issue.
According to (Auerbach and Gramling, 2008), Stress is "An unpleasant state of emotional and physiological arousal that people experience in situations that they perceive as dangerous or threatening to their well-being". Stress, therefore, is reliant on the individual's perception of a given situation. It is an abstract entity, making it difficult to accurately define, conceptualise and measure. Relating findings to physiological and psychological issues is even more challenging, yet this is where the practical benefits are to be found. At present there is no scale or procedure agreed upon to indicate were stress levels move from being natural and insignificant to being a more serious psychological issue, one with which an individual may need help in managing. Too often it is the case that excessive stress levels lead to more serious or simply more perceptible, psychological or physiological issues, before a diagnosis can be reached. David Clarke, in his book "They Can't Find Anything Wrong" (2007), claims that stress is so prominent in the world today that it ought to be classed as an illness. In the book he appeals to sufferers of stress and clinicians alike to adopt a more pro-active approach to dealing with stress. He emphasises the importance of early detection and intervention and suggests practical and productive steps to be taken by clients, the health services and families, to help resolve the issue.  
From a research perspective there are many obstacles to contend with when dealing with a diverse and complex issue like stress. Surveys are the most common psychological tool used in measuring stress and often a generic survey is relied upon for definitive results. The validity of this approach is questionable, however, as each case is specific to the individual, consisting of different stressors and reactions. The most commonly used survey in measuring stress is the Rosenberg Scale, (Rosenberg M. 1965). A combination of surveys, and the analysis of psychological and physiological factors, may produce a more accurate indication of the clients stress level. (Moses I. Ukeh, Philip K. Aloh, & Nguwasen Kwahar 2011) supports this premise, "limitation is due in part to reliance on self-reported measures which cannot be objectively proved" and they also suggested that a psychological interview may yield more accurate results.
Unfortunately, in society today, there is a stigma associated with stress. This is a factor which prevents people suffering with the issue from realising they have a problem and seeking help. This negativity surrounding stress exacerbates the problem, as it results in people concealing their emotions, consequently, leading to more serious psychological issues. Research has indicated that stress can cause accidents and physical illness such as heart attack, high blood pressure, (Auerbach and Gramling, 2008). Many mental disorders are also associated with high stress levels, with depression being the most prevalent. High stress levels have also been closely associated with many suicide cases. More recent research has shown correlations between stress and terrible illnesses such as cancer.  These examples emphasise need for society to wake up to the severity of the issue at hand and adopt a proactive approach.
Enhancing people's knowledge and understanding of stress would be a major step toward reducing the prevalence of the problem. Many are ignorant of the symptoms, causes and solutions to their problems, thus, increasing awareness would be a positive step in resolving the problem. Fatigue, like stress is an abstract concept, yet people are much better equipped to control it. This is in part due to an increased understanding of the causes, results and solutions, elements which empower people to monitor and maintain healthy levels. This example suggests that if an enhanced level of understanding was reached, people would be more self-sufficient in terms of their stress levels.
Past research has shown that low stress levels correlate with high levels of life satisfaction, optimism and a lack of hopelessness (Dumont & Provost, 1999). Moreover, relaxation techniques as shown by (Kaspereen, D. 2012), can greatly decrease stress levels and could be prescribed  to those suffering from high levels of stress, but also may also be beneficial for people in maintaining low levels of stress. (Peniston, 1986), combines both these elements in his study on war veterans suffering post-traumatic stress. By using relaxation techniques in a group setting, he achieves lower levels of stress and increased life satisfaction in the majority of cases. This study shows that under the right circumstances, huge improvements can be made to ones state of mind and in turn ones overall standard of life. 
 Anxiety in anticipation of a situation perceived as significant, is an important element of the human form and regularly acts as a motivator. On the other hand, it is also clear that high levels of stress can be dangerous and even fatal. Considering these two facts, it seems necessary to create an analysis scale ranging from innocuous levels of stress to stress illness. The development of a reliable and widespread stress scale would aid clinicians and the general public alike. Its implementation could be modelled off previous successful medical models such as cancer screening or body mass index testing. Setting up appropriate facilities for the testing and maintenance of stress seems essential. Perhaps, mobile vans could be used as is the case with cancer screening in Ireland. Here clients could have stress level tested with the availability of appropriate advice for managing their stress levels. 
To sum up, there are no clear cut solutions in dealing with such a diverse and complex issue as stress is, however, it seems imperative that some form of action is taken. The more knowledge clinicians have at their disposal, attained by further research, the more effective they will be in assisting patients and adopting strategies for dealing with stress on a wider scale. Awareness and understanding is the key to resolving the stress epidemic that grips modern society today. 

References
1. David D. Clarke. (2007), "Review of 'They can't find anything wrong! 7 keys to understanding, treating, and healing stress illness'.", Sentient Publications;
 2. Dumont, M., & Provost, M. A. (1999). Resilience in Adolescents: Protective Role of Social Support, Coping Strategies, Self-Esteem, and. Journal Of Youth & Adolescence, 28(3), 343.
3. Kaspereen, D. (2012). Relaxation intervention for stress reduction among teachers and staff. International Journal Of Stress Management, 19(3), 238-250. doi:10.1037/a
4.  Livanou, M. (2001). Psychological treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder: An overview. International Review Of Psychiatry, 13(3), 181-188. doi:10.1080/046)
5. Maureen Grace (2011). the MFL Occupational Health Centre. "The Healthy Workplace Practices Project".