Which statement describes the health impact of chronic stress?

• A. Chronic stress is short-term and beneficial.
• B. Chronic stress has no impact on physical health.
• C. Chronic stress is prolonged and harms health.
• D. Chronic stress only affects mood.

Answer: (C)

Chronic stress involves a prolonged stress response, which keeps the body's stress hormones elevated over time. This ongoing activation causes wear and tear across multiple body systems, increasing the risk of cardiovascular problems, immune suppression, metabolic disorders, sleep disturbances, and mental health issues. Therefore, describing chronic stress as prolonged and harmful to health best captures its impact. Acute, short-term stress can be adaptive, but chronic exposure is associated with negative health outcomes. Saying there’s no physical health impact or that it affects mood only ignores the broad physiological consequences.