What is the term for psychological or physical strain caused by demanding situations?

The term that accurately refers to psychological or physical strain caused by demanding situations is stress. In a psychological context, stress is often characterized by feelings of anxiety, tension, or pressure that arise when individuals face challenges that exceed their coping abilities.

Stress can manifest in various forms, including emotional responses like irritability and anxiety, as well as physical symptoms such as headaches or fatigue. It represents a broader concept than the other options since it encompasses both physiological and psychological elements in response to demanding environments.

In contrast, tension often refers more specifically to a state of mental or emotional strain, anxiety is a feeling of worry or fear that can be a result of stress but does not encompass the physical aspects, and pressure can refer to external demands or expectations but lacks the comprehensive scope that stress encapsulates in terms of both mental and physical responses.