A prolonged level of stress that exceeds the individual's ability to cope.

A prolonged level of stress that exceeds the individual's ability to cope.

• A. Acute Stress
• B. Chronic Stress
• C. Physical Stress
• D. Invulnerability

Answer: (B)

Chronic stress describes a situation where stressors persist over a long period and overwhelm a person’s ability to cope. When the stress response stays activated for weeks or months, the body ends up bearing a cumulative burden—often called allostatic load—which can affect heart health, sleep, digestion, immune function, and mood. This is why prolonged stress is linked to problems like high blood pressure, anxiety, and burnout. In contrast, acute stress is a short-term, immediate reaction to a specific threat or demand and typically subsides once the situation ends, even though it can temporarily sharpen focus or performance. The idea of physical stress isn’t a standard category for this context, and invulnerability isn’t a type of stress at all, so they don’t fit the description of stress that lasts and exceeds coping capacity.

Chronic stress describes a situation where stressors persist over a long period and overwhelm a person’s ability to cope. When the stress response stays activated for weeks or months, the body ends up bearing a cumulative burden—often called allostatic load—which can affect heart health, sleep, digestion, immune function, and mood. This is why prolonged stress is linked to problems like high blood pressure, anxiety, and burnout. In contrast, acute stress is a short-term, immediate reaction to a specific threat or demand and typically subsides once the situation ends, even though it can temporarily sharpen focus or performance. The idea of physical stress isn’t a standard category for this context, and invulnerability isn’t a type of stress at all, so they don’t fit the description of stress that lasts and exceeds coping capacity.