Primary and Secondary Stressors: The Ways in Which Emergencies, Incidents, Disasters, Disease Outbreaks, and Conflicts Are Stressful

Williams, Richard; Ntontis, Evangelos; Drury, John; Alfadhli, Khalifah and Amlôt, Richard (2024). Primary and Secondary Stressors: The Ways in Which Emergencies, Incidents, Disasters, Disease Outbreaks, and Conflicts Are Stressful. In: Williams, Richard; Kemp, Verity; Porter, Keith; Healing, Tim and Drury, John eds. Major Incidents, Pandemics and Mental Health: The Psychosocial Aspects of Health Emergencies, Incidents, Disasters and Disease Outbreaks. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, pp. 42–48.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009019330.011

Abstract

This chapter introduces the notion of identifying primary and secondary stressors as a way of drawing attention to the many sources of stress that arise either as a consequence of disastrous events of long or short duration, or because they frame the context in which those disastrous events occur. The events that we include in this approach are broad in nature; they include emergencies of all kinds, major incidents, outbreaks of high consequence infectious diseases (HCIDs), terrorist attacks, and conflicts. We begin by outlining the context in which the circumstances that cause stress operate. Then we define primary and secondary stressors. This approach helps us to understand sources of stress in all kinds of adverse and disastrous events. We conclude that the sources of stress that we have researched in these differing emergencies differ, but also have much in common.

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