The Term Stress Is Used By Hans Selye

The definition of stress and the terminology to refer to psychosocial hazards and risks has changed over the years. The term “stress” was first used by Hans Selye in 1936 to define stress in biological terms as “a non-specific response of the body to any demand of change”.1 His research led to the study of stress in brain functions. He also defined “stressors” as events that trigger a physiological and psychological response from the organism, in order to distinguish stimulus from response.2 In this context a stressor can be a biological agent, an environmental condition, an external stimulus, or an event. Stress can define a negative condition or a positive condition that responds to a stressor and that can have an impact on a person’s mental
or physical health and wellbeing.I Today health is acknowledged as a combination of biological, psychological (thoughts, emotions, and behaviour), and social (socio-economical, socio-environmental, and cultural) factors.