Perceived Problems and Stress

Problem-based coping is effective only when the problem can be fixed. When individuals face a problem they perceive as unsolvable, it generates stress. This stress arises from the discrepancy between the perceived difficulty of the problem and the individual's perceived ability to solve it. Stress is not created when individuals believe they can handle a task, as in washing hands, but emerges when they feel incapable of solving the problem at hand.