An important lesson from the stress literature for researchers studying discrimination is that exposure to most stressful experiences does not lead to illness. The overwhelming majority of persons exposed to even the most severe traumatic life experiences have transient symptoms in response to these problems (Yehuda et al. 2005; Baum et al. 1993; Cohen et al. 2007). While there are emotional reactions and symptoms in response to severe stressors, most of them are resolved in the ensuing weeks or months. For example, after a trauma most people recover from symptoms in a year and only 5–10% of those exposed to traumatic experiences go on to develop PTSD (Bryant 2003; Carter 2007). However, the relationship between stress and health status may vary by health outcome with an estimated 20–25% of people who experience major stressful life events developing major depression (Cohen et al. 2007).
