Keir Starmer has become the sixth prime minister to resign in 10 years, and psychologists point to a common underlying cause: an allostatic load. This term, originally used in biology, describes the cumulative impact of prolonged stress on the body and mind. Psychologist Lucy Beresford tells Metro that the UK government is experiencing an 'institutional allostatic load,' trapped in a cycle of adaptation without recovery time.
What is an allostatic load?
Hannah Jackson-McCamley, a UKCP psychotherapist, explains that the government's leadership is particularly vulnerable. 'When you go into a role where that institution itself has a static load, it's difficult to make change when things are so intrinsic to how the country is run,' she says. 'Keir wins an election, so that's three months of stress, then he goes into the job of leading the country, and he's never had a chance to recover from the wear and tear.'
Contributing factors to the load
Both psychologists cite recent major events, including the Iran war, the war in Ukraine, the financial crisis, the pandemic, and the rapid turnover of six prime ministers in a decade. 'Automatically the body is kind of bracing itself. What's the next crisis? What's the next announcement? Who's going to be the next prime minister?' Beresford says. This environment of instability is 'very stressful for human beings,' she adds.
Effects on the body and mind
An allostatic load can lead to the release of hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, which wear down the body over time. 'It wares the body down without having time to heal or replenish,' Beresford explains. This can exacerbate conditions like high blood pressure, weaken the immune system, and cause mental health issues such as anxiety, helplessness, and depression. There is even a theory that it can increase abdominal fat deposits due to hormonal changes.
Five signs of an allostatic load
Jackson-McCamley distinguishes allostatic load from regular stress by its constant nature. 'It's an allostatic load when you're in a constant hamster wheel of those symptoms and have a sense of helplessness,' she says. Key signs include: feeling weary or more tired than normal; changes in eating habits such as overeating, undereating, or excessive alcohol use; getting ill more often; putting on weight; and feeling helpless or depressed. She notes that Starmer's emotional moment at the end of his speech could indicate burnout where 'emotions are spilling as opposed to being processed.'
Public impact
The instability also affects the public, who face personal stressors like relationship problems or job dissatisfaction on top of national crises. 'You only have to look at the last five to 10 years of politics to see life has been quite chaotic for a lot of people,' Beresford says. The cumulative stress leaves many struggling to cope.
