An illustration shows three sections with individual left arrows representing more stress and individual right arrows representing less stress. The first section reads, Biology- the left arrow pointing to a stained woman icon and the arrow labeled reads, Viruses, bacteria, and other disease-causing organisms invade the body, triggering an immune response and putting a strain on the body’s resources. The right arrow pointing to a female icon with a tennis racquet reads, Exercise is one of the best ways to buffer against stress and its negative effects. Citation, Milani and Lavie, 2009.
The second section reads, Psychology-The Left arrow pointing to an excited man icon with a speech bubble reading, Oh no! reads, A perceived lack of control, even in mundane aspects of life, profoundly impacts our ability to manage stress. Citation, Pagnini, Bercovitz, and Langer, 2016; Rodin, 1986. The right arrow pointing to a relaxed male icon with a speech bubble, Om reads, Research has shown that mindfulness meditation helps ease anxiety and depression. Citation, Goyal et al., 2014.
The third section reads, Social interaction- The left arrow pointing to a male icon sitting alone alongside a lonely chair reads, Research has shown that feeling judged on one’s race, gender, income level, and other factors has a negative impact on physical health and well-being. Citation, Clark, DesMeules, Luo, Duncan, and Wielgosz, 2009; Williams and Mohammed, 2009. The right arrow pointing two male icons relaxing with a pet dog and the arrow labeled reads, As a species, human beings are social and benefit from interaction with other humans and even animals. Citation, Allen, 2003; John-Henderson, Stellar, Mendoza-Denton, and Francis, 2015.
The text above the illustration reads, Stress has been linked to a variety of negative health outcomes. The biopsychosocial perspective helps us understand how the interaction among biological, psychological, and social factors contributes to our vulnerability.