Stress Process Paradigm in Sociology of Mental health: A Sociological Study of Stress

Stress Process Paradigm in Sociology of Mental health: A Sociological Study of Stress
Mohammad Esmaeil Riahi- Associate Professor of Sociology- University of Mazandaran- Iran
Abstract:
Stress Process Paradigm (SPP) is configured in 1980's to study the impacts of social factors on the production and distribution of stress related mental disorders. Over the past three decades, this paradigm could maintain its dominance in the field of sociological studies of stress. Stress process as a conceptual model is consisted of three main components: Stressors (social sources of stress production), Mediators (psycho-social factors which mediate stress), and Health outcomes (reactions to stress). According to SPP, all of the suitable and unsuitable life events are potentially the sources of stress production; though in terms of time sequence, it is possible to draw a spectrum from trauma to chronic stressors. Furthermore, social support (structural or functional) and coping responses are the most important mediators of stress. Finally, reaction to stress is determined by socio-cultural factors, such as; emotions cultures, social norms, and social learning of emotions expression. SPP as a sociological framework is concentrated on the role of social structures and social contexts in the shaping the patterns of distribution of stress related mental disorders.
The main purpose of present paper is to discussion about those issues which must be considered by sociologist when studying stress process. Since, the main strategy of social research in this field is to identify the connecting circles between social arrangements and individual stress, therefore the paper is trying to propose a conceptual as well as analytical framework, to assist the presentation and elaboration of sociology of stress in Iran.
Keywords: Stress process, stressors, social support, coping strategies, mental health, sociology of stress

This article is published in Persian language, so the full text of article in English, is not available.