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Understanding Children and Young People’s Mental Health

There is no single medical definition of stress, although people often talk about
‘being stressed’ or stressful situations and recognise similar common themes. The
NHS definition of stress is given below:

D Definition: Stress

Stress is the feeling of being under too much mental or emotional
pressure, and pressure turns into stress when you feel unable
to cope. A bit of stress is normal and can help push you to do
something new or difficult, but too much stress can take its toll.

Source: https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/for-your-body/stress-less/

People feel under stress in situations where they are under pressure or when they lack
control over a situation. Stress is the way the human body responds to pressure and
emotionally challenging situations.

A Activity 3: NHS Self-assessment

For people aged over 16, the NHS offers an online self-assessment
to check on moods and emotions. Try it for yourself by typing the
following link into a browser:

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/mood-
self-assessment/
It’s worth noting that this self-assessment is not intended to
replace a professional diagnosis, and anyone with concerns
should ideally visit their GP. It would be useful to take the results
of the self-assessment to this appointment with notes of any
thoughts arising in the process.

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