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Stress is defined as the body's reaction to pain, strain or pressure. Chronic stress is

responsible for increased mental health issues. Psychiatrists have shown a connection to

traumatic stress with several mental disorders like depression and anxiety. In response to a

stressing event, the body produces more adrenaline and cortisol. These stress hormones prepare

the body for fight or flight. However, extreme reactions produced by the body during

emergencies produce stress. Stress affects each person in a certain way. For instance, research

indicates that women are more likely to have pressure as compared to their male counterparts. In-

depth analysis carried out to prove this is the focus of this paper.

Literature review

Stress accounts for a significant percentage of health problems, work unproductivity,

failure and absenteeism from school. The Reformed Church in America (RCA) concurred with

this statement when they identified stress in its clergymen. Their findings indicated that the

clergy had health problems, which are related to stress. As a step to assist their employees, the

church signed them into a six-week program where they were taught on how to improve their

resilience toward stress and on the ways of managing it (Visker, Rider and Humphers-Ginther,

2017, 957). The diversity of stress is evident in this case. After following the program for about

two years, the participant’s stress levels were reported to reduce as their motivation to work

increased. Additionally, half after attending the program for only six weeks initially cut the

health costs present.

Health professionals often face stress from the demanding schedules of their work.

Stressed nurses and doctors are not fit to treat patients, and when they do, the stress impairs their

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productivity and may lead to unintentionally harming the patient. Psychologists and psychiatrists

are required to attend a counseling session from their supervisors to minimize the effects of their

work from stressing them and affecting their mental status. Consequently, the biofeedback use as

a tool for stress management is on the rise especially among health workers (Smart et al.2014, 8).

The tool comprises of breathing rhythmically, generating positive emotions and a pocket-size

device. Physicians are required to use the device at least three times a day. After a pilot

programme on the use of this device, researchers found that the tool was simple to use and

efficiently reduced stress among the health workers.

Some researches conducted aimed to specifically address the effects of stress on men.

Scientists led by Prof. Markus Heinrichs and Dr. Bernadette von Dawans from the University of

Freiburg in Germany set out to investigate how men behaved while stressed (Lloyd, Bond and

Flaxman, 2017, 155). Contrary to the general assumption that stress aggravates anger in people,

the study proved otherwise. In their findings, they indicated that stressed men were friendly

which opposed over a hundred years old claims that men were violent while women were

friendly when either was under stress. The scientist explained that this reaction is a social

approach to the fight or flight psychological responses to stress (Moeini et al.2018, 4). However,

there was no record of a change in their negative social behavior during the study.

Through the years, comprehensive studies record the adverse effects of stress on the

human body and mind. As a result, much mental health and other physical problems have been

successful, treated through stress management. However, there are no consistent results recorded

on the relationship of deaths and stress. Though some studies indicate that too much stress

increases the risk of dying, it contributes to the health problems caused by stress rather than

stress itself (Toussaint et al.2016, 1010). Others found no relationship between the two and at

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least one of these studies found an inverse association between the two. From these studies,

scientists conclude that stress was a better predictor of health than simple life events

observations. For instance, they found that caregivers had high mortality levels due to the

stressing nature of their job.

Stress causes anxiety of educational subjects at school. As a result, the students fail in

their tests forming a culture of fear of the unknown that later leads to stressful lives. The working

memory is part of our brain that facilities learning (Chiang et al. 2018,170). However, the ability

to transfer information and figures from the working memory during a test is caused by the

hormone cortisol released when the student tenses. This revelation was true for students with

high working memories. However, students with low working memories showed a little

difference in their performances while under stress compared to when they are not.

Methodology

Data collected for this research included both primary and secondary sources. The main

aim of the study to establish the rates of stress levels in both men and women. Additionally, the

study should find the causes and relationship between stress hormones and gender. The primary

source of our data included interviews and class discussions. Secondary sources include peer-

reviewed journals, previously done researches and recognized online sources like NHS sources.

Participants

Students who participated in the study were close associates and Arden university

students. Among the participants, both female and male genders were included for valid results

with 18 women and 17 men. About fifty people between the ages of 18-68 were interviewed, and

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after giving their consent, they filled a questionnaire as required by the project director. Research

participants included friends and students at Arden University.

The process of data collection was done in two weeks. During these two weeks, each

person in the group was expected to have administered at least ten questionnaires. The

questionnaires contained direct and straightforward questions. Moreover, the participants had the

choice of withdrawing from the study whenever they wanted without fear of victimization. Each

member of the group would administer ten questionnaires among classmates and other Arden

University students. Additionally, anyone with a relative or a friend who had a stressful

experience over the past 12 months of the study were invited to interview them on their

experiences. All the collected data was placed in a graph or a table for further interpretation.

Results

The participants were further divided into other small groups depending on their

ethnicity, faith, marital status, education and previous history of stressful experiences. In the

ethnic category, Africans led in score with 6% followed by the Indians who had a score of 5.5%.

Both the British and Asians had low percentages of 0% and 1.5% respectively. In the subsection

of faith, Christians led with an impressive score of 7.5%, Muslims followed with 1.5% and lastly

the Hindus with 1.3%. When it came to marital status, cohabiting singles scored a high score of

couples 3%. Cohabiting couples had stress levels of 1.5% while the divorced has the least rating

of 1%. Furthermore, education played a common stressor. The educated had the highest score of

7.5%, followed by the employed who had 6% and the least score came from the unemployed

with 0%. Previous experience of a stress symptom had 7.5% while no experience of the same

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had 4.5%. About 7% agreed that men stressed more while only 2% disagreed. Further,

2.5%agreed that women stressed more while 3% disagreed.

Discussion

The participants in the study came from different ethnic backgrounds. Among the ethnic

groups in the world, we managed this study had four of them including British, Hindus, Asians

and Africans. Africans and Hindus scored a high percentage of stress levels with 6% and 5.5%

respectively. However, the Asians had a less rate of 1.5% with the British scoring an

insignificant percentage. Most of the foreigners daring abroad went in search of a better life and

an education. However, the slave trade that involved the Africans and the Hindus affect their

sensitivity to stress. Additionally, a majority of the international students from the African and

Indian backgrounds have a history of extreme poverty (Schabo, Ward and Jose, 2016, 190).

Exposure to harsh conditions of life at an early age predisposes one to stress. This accounts to the

high percentages of stress from these ethnicities. Conversely, the British and the Asians scored

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lowly due to their lack of involvement with the slave trade. Additionally, their cultures are

similar to the places they are considered as strangers hence reducing the culture shock

Another criterion that divided the participants is faith. Religious faiths included in the

research included Christianity, Hinduism, and Islam. Christians scored highly closely followed

by the Muslims. The reasons why most Christians are more stressed as compared to the other

faiths is due to their worry about things they have no control over. For instance, the majority of

people from all denominations worry about their jobs, family and health problems and most

importantly finances (Zemishlany, 2016, 315). However, the lack of faith of Christians

contributes to high-stress levels. In rare cases, persecution for one faith may also cause stress to

religious people. Muslims are mainly stressed due to the victimization they face for their religion

and physical appearances. Many people in the world associate the religion of Islam with

terrorism. Their prejudice may be unfair and stressful to the Muslims, but it also justified after

terrorist groups like Al Qaeda radicalize them into suicide bombing.

Marital status of a person also plays a role in increasing or reducing stress. Single,

cohabiting and divorced participants were in the list of the fifty participants. The singles

recorded the highest levels of stress followed by cohabiting couples and finally the divorced.

Some people opt to be single while others are afraid of commitment. The lack of companionship

and a person with whom to share responsibilities with especially financial are the main stressors

for single people (Falconier et al. 2015 229). However, this does not imply that those with

companions are stress-free. Cohabiting couples follow the list of stress. Though there is no

pressure of commitment, the couples take each other fogranted and go to the extent of cheating

since they are not officially married. Similar to married couples, the pressure caused by financial

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challenges lead to violence. Consequently, the couple will always be fights if not stressed of

what the future holds.

Education background of a person is another background of the participants. Educated

people led the list followed by the employed and lastly the unemployed. Most of the educated

people's stress emerged from the lack of contentment with their current job, economic status, and

future projects. As opposed to the unemployed people's problems, their stressors are personally

inflicted. Moreover, the employed were mainly stressed from their work. Demanding jobs

consumed their energy and time leaving them with less or no time to spend with their families

thus causing family problems. Additionally, pressure from their bosses to meet deadlines added

to the fact that they are paid a minimum wage is a huge stressor to the employed people.

However, as opposed general assumptions, the unemployed people have fewer stressors s

compared to both the working and the educated. Their only stressor money to buy food, pay rent

and other medical emergencies and this explains why they scored the least in the list of stress.

Some conditions predispose one to stress. For instance, as the results indicate, previous

experience of a stress symptom increases the chances of one future stressful events. Thought the

figures in the result section support this statement, the mind of a person can be easily

manipulated to believe that something awful will happen (Almakvist and Mohammed, 2016,

158). As a result, the mind is conditioned to expect nothing but stress. However, previous

experience of a stressful event increases the person's sensitivity to stress. Consequently, minor

issues that could not have caused stress earlier on become a significant stressor after such an

experience. Conversely, those blind to stressful events may fail to recognize incoming stressors,

and therefore they are less likely to be stressed.

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Finally, the last category required the respondents to indicate whom they thought were

more stressed than the other between both genders was. The majority claimed that the men were

more stressed as compared to the women. Psychologists explain this phenomenon with the

talkative nature and frequent crying by the women, which is highly therapeutic. Additionally,

many cultures socialize their boys with the belief that men are tough and should solve their

problems (Bowers, 2016, 5). Consequently, men rarely go for therapy sessions and neither do

they cry since they belief such actions are only for the weak. Moreover, men are good at hiding

their problems rather than sharing them, which results to stress thus affecting their everyday

lives. Some of the ways they hide their problems include drinking too much alcohol, working

late and avoiding going home early.

In retrospect, the research proves that the demographic background of a person plays a

significant role in experiencing and managing stress. Moreover, the belief that men are more

stressed than the men is overwritten. Men tend to hide their stresses through antisocial behavior

like alcoholism. Earlier stressful experiences increase the chances of future stress symptom. The

culture of a person affects how they handle and manage stress. Muslims are mostly stressed from

prejudice and discrimination due to the established connection of terrorists with their religion.

Contrary to popular belief, the educated and employed have stressful lives as compared to the

jobless. This research should serve as a prerequisite for further studies primarily on the ways to

manage stress among the young people.

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References

Chiang, J.J., Turiano, N.A., Mroczek, D.K. and Miller, G.E., 2018. Affective reactivity to daily

stress and 20-year mortality risk in adults with chronic illness: Findings from the

National Study of Daily Experiences. Health Psychology, 37(2), p.170.

Ellis, K.R., Griffith, D.M., Allen, J.O., Thorpe Jr, R.J. and Bruce, M.A., 2015. “If you do

nothing about stress, the next thing you know, you're shattered”: Perspectives on African

American men's stress, coping and health from African American men and key women in

their lives. Social Science & Medicine, 139, pp.107-114.

Falconier, M.K., Nussbeck, F., Bodenmann, G., Schneider, H. and Bradbury, T., 2015. Stress

from daily hassles in couples: Its effects on intradyadic stress, relationship satisfaction,

and physical and psychological well‐being. Journal of marital and family therapy, 41(2),

pp.221-235.

Lindau, M., Almkvist, O. and Mohammed, A.H., 2016. Effects of stress on learning and

memory. In Stress: Concepts, Cognition, Emotion, and Behavior (pp. 153-160).

Lindau, Bowers, M.E., Flory, J.D., Abu-Amara, D., Marmar, C.D. and Yehuda, R., 2016.

Association between estradiol and posttraumatic stress disorder in men and women

military veterans. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 71, pp.4-5.

Lloyd, J., Bond, F.W. and Flaxman, P.E., 2017. Work-related self-efficacy as a moderator of the

impact of a worksite stress management training intervention: Intrinsic work motivation

as a higher order condition of effect. Journal of occupational health psychology, 22(1),

p.115.

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Moeini, B., Hazavehei, S.M.M., Shahrabadi, R., Faradmal, J., Ahmadpanah, M., Dashti, S.,

Barati, M. and Mehri, A., 2018. The effectiveness of cognitive–behavioral stress-

management training on the readiness for substance use treatment in Iran. Journal of

Substance Use, pp.1-6.

Smart, D., English, A., James, J., Wilson, M., Daratha, K.B., Childers, B. and Magera, C., 2014.

Compassion fatigue and satisfaction: A cross‐sectional survey among US healthcare

workers. Nursing & health sciences, 16(1), pp.3-10.

Szabo, A., Ward, C. and Jose, P.E., 2016. Uprooting stress, coping, and anxiety: A longitudinal

study of international students. International Journal of stress management, 23(2), p.190.

Toussaint, L., Shields, G.S., Dorn, G. and Slavich, G.M., 2016. Effects of lifetime stress

exposure on mental and physical health in young adulthood: How stress degrades and

forgiveness protects health. Journal of health psychology, 21(6), pp.1004-1014.

Visker, J.D., Rider, T. and Humphers-Ginther, A., 2017. Ministry-related burnout and stress

coping mechanisms among Assemblies of God-ordained clergy in Minnesota. Journal of

religion and health, 56(3), pp.951-961.

Zemishlany, Z., 2016. Resilience and vulnerability in coping with stress and terrorism. The

Routledge International Handbook of Psychosocial Resilience, p.315.

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