ABSTRACT

The physical manifestations of stress are numerous. The concept of stress has become a commonplace notion in contemporary life. Different individuals cope with the stresses in their lives in different ways and with different kinds of stress in different ways. Stress within the relationship simply increases the stress of caring. Caring is stressful work from which one may be able to absent oneself physically for short periods but from which, emotionally, there is never an escape. The fact that there is a major caring demand placed on one member of the family, creates stress for others in the family as well. So caring is stressful and paid work is stressful and family relationships and managing the home may be stressful. A number of studies, for example, have explored the different response to stress of male and female carers and concluded that women caregivers experience considerably higher levels of stress than men who work and care.