Arjun is a Class 12 student in Lucknow. In March, his grandmother, who lives with the family, was taken to hospital after a fall, and his father now spends most evenings with her there. In the same month, his parents had a bitter quarrel with the family next door over a parking space, and the two families have stopped greeting each other. Arjun's closest friend has also stopped speaking to him after an argument. Arjun says he feels tense and on edge most of the day.
Which type of stress is Arjun mainly facing?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Social stress
Option (1) Psychological stress — Incorrect. Psychological stress is the stress we produce ourselves in our own minds, through frustration, conflicts and internal or social pressures. Arjun's tension starts from events outside him, so this does not fit.
Option (2) Environmental stress — Incorrect. Environmental stress comes from the surroundings, such as air pollution, crowding, noise, heat or a natural disaster. Nothing in Arjun's case comes from his physical surroundings.
Option (3) Social stress — Correct. Social stress is induced externally and results from our interaction with other people. Illness in the family, a quarrel with neighbours and a broken friendship are all such social events, so this is the stress Arjun faces.
Option (4) Physical stress — Incorrect. Physical stress comes from demands that change the state of the body, such as overwork, poor food, an injury or too little sleep. Arjun's own body is under no such strain; the fall was his grandmother's.
NCERT (2026-27): “Social Stress |