Approaching questions of stress and welfare

Abstract

Stress and welfare are words found in many current newspapers, magazines and novels, as well as in numerous academic journals and texts. Because they are widely used, the terms stress and welfare have developed a range of meanings. The terms tend to be used in order to avoid being too specific about the nature of particular difficulties. Many of the issues surrounding these difficulties are receiving increasing public and scientific attention because of their social and ethical implications. Unfortunately, the more widely the words are used, the less precise are the meanings attached to them.