Stress and Illness

We have become increasingly aware of the effects of stress on health, although physical health has improved markedly in the last century. We may regard living in an industrialized society in the twentieth century as being very stressful. Yet a hundred years ago there must have been a great deal of stress that came from chronic poor health, worries about housing, accident rates, high infant mortality and the threat of violence. However, there is no doubt that although we may have the physical comforts of warmth, housing and food, life events can cause much disruption and distress.