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Perceived Coercion Physiological Cost

Meaning

The Perceived Coercion Physiological Cost quantifies the detrimental, measurable biological impact resulting from an individual’s subjective feeling of being forced or unduly pressured into specific health behaviors or clinical protocols. This cost manifests as chronic allostatic load, primarily mediated by a sustained activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. It is a critical, often overlooked factor in personalized medicine, demonstrating that even objectively healthy interventions can be counterproductive if they violate a patient’s sense of autonomy. Clinicians must prioritize patient agency to mitigate this cost.