Table 1.

Outcomes of adaptive PS in four situations.

PS	Action	Result	State of PS	End result
Adaptive PS in time-limited situation	Appropriate action taken	Resolution of situation	Release of PS	Formation of new PS. Increased Resilience
Adaptive PS in chronic situation	Appropriate actions taken	Situation not resolved quickly	Prolonged PS	Prolonged PS—Increased AL; possible eventual overwhelm
Adaptive PS in overwhelming situation	Appropriate actions taken	Situation overwhelming	PS stays organized	Once the situation ends, no PTS
Adaptive PS in overwhelming situation	Appropriate actions taken	Situation overwhelming	PS disorganizes: trauma	Once the situation ends, likely PTS

When the PS is well matched to the challenging situation (adaptive), there can be a variety of outcomes depending on the situation. If the situation is successfully resolved within a short time, there will be increased long-term resilience. If the situation fails to resolve quickly, there may be increased allostatic load. If the situation overwhelms the capacity to cope but the PS stays organized, there may be few long-term consequences. However if the PS becomes disorganized (see text for explanation) there may be lasting post-traumatic stress. (AL, allostatic load; PTS, post-traumatic stress.)