Chronic stress is intricately linked to various illnesses, significantly impacting mental health, cognitive functioning, and the onset of chronic diseases. Chronic stress accelerates and exacerbates pre-existing vulnerabilities, leading to mental health issues such as depression, burnout, and post-traumatic stress disorder, and cognitive impairments in populations with Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer’s Disease (Marin et al., 2011). The chronicity and controllability of stress play significant roles in stress-illness relationships, with chronic stressors leading to greater health detriments compared to episodic stressors, as evidenced by their effects on psychosomatic symptoms and depression (Gannon & Pardie, 1989). Chronic stress has been linked to an increased risk of developing depression or anxiety, type 2 diabetes, cancer, coronary heart disease, circulatory disease, asthma, and emphysema, highlighting the need for interventions that address chronic stress to prevent the onset and exacerbation of these conditions (Renzaho et al., 2014).
In summary, chronic stress is a significant factor contributing to the development and exacerbation of various diseases. Addressing chronic stress through targeted interventions could mitigate its impact on health and improve outcomes for individuals experiencing chronic stress-related conditions.