Metho­dological Principles for the Need for an Interdisciplinary Assessment of Cumulative Stress in Forcibly Displaced Persons

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46991/BYSU.E/2025.17.1.051

Keywords:

cumulative stress, person, forcibly displaced, assessment, homeostasis, allostasis, allostatic load

Abstract

This article is aimed at analyzing the characteristics of cumulative stress among forcibly displaced persons and the need to measure it within the framework of a biopsychosocial approach. Cumulative stress is the result of a combination of multiple, interconnected and time-accumulating stressors. It simultaneously affects the biological, psychological and social systems of an individual. The problem of displacement is becoming more relevant in the current period. Displacement, due to its specificities, is an important factor contributing to the emergence of cumulative stress. In conditions of forced displacement, stressful experiences are not only multi-layered, but also continuous, stress-causing factors are present both during displacement, before and after it, as a result of which the depletion of adaptive resources is gradually formed, the risk of functional changes occurs. Cumulative stress is characterized by multi-sectoral impact, temporal dynamics, and the interaction of external and internal factors. Therefore, the assessment of cumulative stress, especially in the case of forcibly displaced persons, cannot be limited to a single measurement tool, take into account only one environment of an individual's life activity, or have a purely cumulative nature. The need for a specific, systematic, and combined measurement approach is proposed, which will include an integrated assessment of psychological, physiological, and social factors.

Author Biographies

  • Hrant Avanesyan, Ереванский государственный университет

    Professor, Dr. of Psychology, Head of YSU Chair of General Psychology, Director of Scientific Research Center of Psychology of YSU

  • Diana Avtandilyan, Yerevan State University

    Researcher at YSU Psychology Research Center

  • Anahit Amirjanyan, Yerevan State University

    Researcher at YSU Psychology Research Center

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URL: https://www.who.int/ru/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/refugee-and-migrant-mental-health (հասանելի է՝ 03.03.2026)

URL: https://dictionary.apa.org/stress (հասանելի է՝ 03.03.2026)

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Published

2026-04-03

Issue

Vol. 17 No. 1(49) (2026)

Section

PSYCHOLOGY

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Copyright (c) 2026 Հրանտ Ավանեսյան, Դիանա Ավթանդիլյան, Անահիտ Ամիրջանյան

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How to Cite

Avanesyan, H., Avtandilyan, D., & Amirjanyan, A. (2026). Metho­dological Principles for the Need for an Interdisciplinary Assessment of Cumulative Stress in Forcibly Displaced Persons. Bulletin of Yerevan University E: Philosophy, Psychology, 17(1(49), 51-62. https://doi.org/10.46991/BYSU.E/2025.17.1.051

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