Daily Stress and Hassles

Abstract

Daily stress and hassles refers to quotidian adversity and the friction of moving through life. They have proved to be strongly associated with mental health, and serve as a proximal catalyst and outcome of symptomatology. Despite their intuitive and accessible nature, the constructs of daily hassles and stress pose several significant challenges in their conceptualization and measurement. This chapter reviews historical and contemporary approaches to measuring and assessing daily stress and hassles. Conceptual and definitional issues are covered, followed by three generations of daily stress assessment: cross-sectional, ambulatory assessment, and passive sensing. A selective summary is provided of research on daily stress as it relates to mental health.