About stress

Stress is how we react when we feel under pressure or threatened.

It's not always a problem, but sometimes it can be. 

I had time off work with stress and anxiety issues. I was on a very slippery slope and getting further down said slope at a rapid speed. I was scared.

When might we experience stress?

Stress usually happens when we're in a situation that we don't feel we can manage or control. But sometimes there's no obvious cause.

When we experience stress, it can be as:

• An individual, for example when you have lots of responsibilities that you're struggling to manage
• Part of a group, for example if your family is going through a difficult time, such as bereavement or financial problems
• Part of your community, for example if you belong to a religious group that's experiencing discrimination
• A member of society, for example during natural disasters or events like the coronavirus pandemic

If you feel stress as part of a bigger group, you may all experience it differently. This can happen even if the cause of your stress is the same.

When is stress a problem?

Sometimes, a small amount of stress can help us to complete tasks and feel more energised. But stress can become a problem when it lasts for a long time. Or when it's very intense. In some cases, stress can affect our physical and mental health.

You might hear healthcare professionals refer to some types of stress as 'acute' or 'chronic':

• Acute stress usually happens immediately after an upsetting or unexpected event. For example, a sudden bereavement, assault or natural disaster. It can last up to a month and is very intense. 
• Chronic stress lasts for a long period of time or keeps coming back. You might experience this if you're under lots of pressure a lot of the time. You might also feel chronic stress if your day-to-day life is difficult, for example if you're a carer or if you're struggling to get by financially.

Is stress a mental health problem?

Stress isn't normally considered a mental health problem. But it is connected to our mental health in several ways:

• Stress can cause mental health problems. And it can make existing problems worse. For example, if you experience lots of stress, this might lead you to develop a mental health problem like anxiety or depression. Or experiencing a very stressful or traumatic event might lead to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
• Mental health problems can cause stress. You might find coping with the day-to-day symptoms of your mental health problem stressful. You may also feel stressed about managing medication, healthcare appointments or other treatments.
• You might use recreational drugs or alcohol to cope with stress. This could also affect your mental health, and cause further stress.

Published: May 2025

Next review planned: May 2028

References and bibliography available on request.

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