Hans Selye and the Field of Stress Research

The next article in our series is one of the first reports from Hans Selye, who pioneered research on biological effects of exposure to stressful stimuli.

This article is a cornerstone of neuropsychiatry because it led to the study of the effects of stress and hormones, particularly corticosteroids, on brain function. Hans Selye (1907–1982), a native of Hungary, founded the Institute of Experimental Medicine and Surgery at the University of Montreal and later the International Institute of Stress. During the half-century of his research career he authored or co-authored more than 1,700 publications, including 40 books.¹

The brief report reprinted below summarizes, in five dense paragraphs, several years of experimentation that formed the empiric foundation of Dr. Selye's concept of the General Adaptation Syndrome. This syndrome consists of an enlargement of the adrenal gland; atrophy of the thymus, spleen and other lymphoid tissue; and gastric ulcerations. He describes in this report three stages of adaptation, including an initial brief alarm reaction, followed by a prolonged period of resistance and a terminal stage of exhaustion and death. This foundational work led to a rich line of research on the biological functioning of glucocorticoids.

Dr. Selye was greatly influenced by Walter B. Cannon, who had focused on the role of the sympathetic nervous system in adaptation and coined the terms “fight-or-flight responses” and “homeostasis.”²

Although Dr. Selye's view that stress responses are nonspecific has been challenged (for review, see Goldstein³), his legacy of empiric research remains extremely influential today.