Adverse social circumstances, hardship, problematic social relationships, emotional distress, and misfortunes that bind, or even strain and overtax, the psychological and social resources of a person. When such stress becomes chronic in developing children, it can adversely affect their gut health, especially short-chain fatty acids as well as a range of immunological diseases. The well-researched adverse effects of psychosocial stress on pregnancy outcomes has led to the recommendation that it should be screened for during pregnancy. It is often used interchangeably with social stress although there are distinctions to be made.
See Child-Adult Medical Procedure Interaction Scale (CAMPIS-SF), Methylation, Social stress, Stress (or adrenal) hormones