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Stress Spillover Effect

Meaning

The clinical phenomenon where psychological or physiological stress originating in one domain of an individual’s life, such as work, crosses over and negatively impacts their functioning and well-being in another domain, such as family or personal health. This spillover is mediated by the persistence of an activated stress response, maintaining elevated levels of cortisol and sympathetic tone long after the initial stressor is removed. The effect results in chronic allostatic load, impairing sleep, hormonal regulation, and emotional availability in the secondary domain. It is a major contributor to systemic health decline.