Stressors (Neuman)

The Neuman Systems Model looks at the impact of stressors on health and addresses stress and the reduction of stress (in the form of stressors). Stressors are capable of having either a positive or negative effect on the client system. A stressor is any environmental force which can potentially affect the stability of the system: they may be:

Intrapersonal - occur within person, e.g. emotions and feelingsna

Interpersonal - occur between individuals, e.g. role expectations Extrapersonal - occur outside the individual, e.g. job or finance pressures The person has a certain degree of reaction to any given stressor at any given time. The nature of the reaction depends in part on the strength of the lines of resistance and defense. By means of primary, secondary and tertiary interventions, the person (or the nurse) attempts to restore or maintain the stability of the system.