Read the case carefully and answer the question that follow :
Rahul turned 14 last month. He had a big birthday party and invited all his friends. He likes his school and friends in the society.
Rahul's father works in a big office and has been asked to shift from Delhi to Bangalore. This news has disturbed Rahul and he is showing erratic behaviour and has alienated himself from his friends.
He has frequent mood swings and also gets anxious everytime his parents try to talk about their life in Bangalore.
This news has also led Rahul to skip meals along with disturbed sleep patterns and poor academic performance. His parents don't know how to handle the situation and have been advised by Rahul's class teacher to see the school counsellor.
Based on your reading the passage identify Rahul's source of stress.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Life events
Option (1) Traumatic events — Incorrect. These are extreme events such as a fire, an accident, a robbery or an earthquake. A father’s transfer to another city is a big change, but not a disaster of this kind.
Option (2) Hassles — Incorrect. Hassles are the small irritations of everyday life, such as noise, commuting or quarrelsome neighbours. Shifting from Delhi to Bangalore is one major change, not a daily nuisance.
Option (3) Life events — Correct. Major life events are stressful because they disturb our routine and cause upheaval; a planned life event of this kind is moving into a new house. Rahul has to leave his school, his friends and his city, so the relocation is a life event.
Option (4) Environmental stress — Incorrect. Environmental stresses are aspects of our surroundings that are often unavoidable, such as air pollution, crowding, noise, heat or cold, and disasters such as floods. Rahul is not reacting to his surroundings but to the news of the move.
NCERT (2025-26): “Sources of Stress … A wide range of events and conditions can generate stress. Among the most important of these are major stressful life events, such as death of a loved one or personal injury, the annoying frequent hassles of everyday life and traumatic events that affect our lives.…” “Life Events … Changes, both big and small, sudden and gradual affect our life from the moment we are born. We learn to cope with small, everyday changes but major life events can be stressful, because they disturb our routine and cause upheaval. If several of these life events that are planned (e.g. moving into a new house) or unpredicted (e.g. break-up of a long-term relationship) occur within a short period of time, we find it difficult to cope with them and will be more prone to the symptoms of stress.” |