How does stress relate to mental wellbeing?

• A. Stress has no effect on mental wellbeing.
• B. Acute stress is always harmful.
• C. Chronic or unmanaged stress can improve wellbeing.
• D. Moderate stress can be adaptive; chronic or unmanaged stress can impair wellbeing and increase risk.

Answer: (D)

Stress can be both helpful and harmful depending on how long it lasts and how it’s managed. Short-term, moderate stress can be adaptive, sharpening focus, boosting motivation, and helping you tackle a challenge. But when stress is ongoing or not well managed, it wears down your coping resources and can contribute to anxiety, depression, sleep problems, and lower overall functioning. This balance—adaptive effects of moderate, temporary stress versus the impairing effects of chronic or unmanaged stress—best explains how stress relates to mental wellbeing.