Researchers in the psychology department at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) have discovered a major difference in the way men and women respond to stress. This difference may explain why men are more likely to suffer from stress-related disorders.
加州大学洛杉矶分校（UCLA）心理学系的研究人员发现，男性和女性对压力的反应方式存在重大差异，这种差异可能解释了为什么男性更容易患压力相关疾病。

Until now, psychological research has maintained that both men and women have the same "fight-or-flight" reaction to stress. In other words, individuals either react with aggressive behavior, such as verbal or physical conflict ("fight"), or they react by withdrawing from the stressful situation ("flight"). However, the UCLA research team found that men and women have quite different biological and behavioral responses to stress. While men often react to stress in the fight-or-flight response, women often have another kind of reaction which could be called "tend and befriend." That is, they often react to stressful conditions by protecting and nurturing their young ("tend"), and by looking for social contact and support from others - especially other females ('befriend").
到目前为止，心理学研究一直认为，男性和女性对压力都有相同的“战斗或逃跑”反应。换句话说，个体要么以攻击性行为应对，比如言语或身体冲突（“打架”），要么从压力情境中退出（“逃跑”）。然而，UCLA 的研究团队发现，男性和女性对压力的生理和行为反应截然不同。虽然男性通常会在战斗或逃跑反应中对压力做出反应，但女性通常会有另一种反应，可以称之为“照顾友好”也就是说，她们经常通过保护和养育自己的孩子（“照顾”）以及寻求他人——尤其是其他女性（“友好”）的社会联系和支持来应对压力。

Scientists have long known that in the fight-or- flight reaction to stress, an important role is played by certain hormones released by the body. The UCLA research team suggests that the female tend-or-befriend response is also based on a hormone. This hormone, called oxytocin,has been studied in the context of childbirth, but now it is being studied for its role in the response of both men and women to stress. The principal investigator, Dr. Shelley E. Taylor,explained that "animals and people with high levels of oxytocin are calmer, more relaxed, more social, and less anxious." While men also secrete oxytocin, its effects are reduced by male hormones.
科学家们早就知道，在对抗或逃避压力的反应中，身体释放的某些激素起着重要作用。UCLA 的研究团队认为，女性的照顾友好反应也基于激素。这种激素称为催产素，研究过对于分娩的作用，但现在正在研究它在男性和女性对压力的反应中的作用。首席研究员雪莱·E·泰勒博士解释说，“催产素水平高的动物和人更冷静、更放松、更社交，也不那么焦虑。”虽然男性也分泌催产素，但男性激素会降低催产素的作用。

In terms of everyday behavior, the UCLA study found that women are far more likely than men to seek social contact when they are feeling stressed. They may phone relatives or friends, or ask directions if they are lost.
在日常行为方面，UCLA 研究发现，女性在感受到压力时往往比男性更可能寻求社会帮助。他们可能会给亲戚朋友打电话，或者在迷茫时寻找指引。

The study also showed how fathers and mothers responded differently when they came home to their family after a stressful day at work. The typical father wanted to be left alone to enjoy some peace and quiet. For a typical mother, coping with a bad day at work meant focusing her attention on her children and their needs.
这项研究还表明，在一天紧张的工作之后，当父母回到家中时，他们的反应是不同的。父亲通常希望独处，享受一些安宁，而母亲通常将注意力集中在孩子和他们的需求上，来应对工作中糟糕的一天。

The differences in responding to stress may explain the fact that women have lower frequency of stress-related disorders such as high blood pressure or aggressive behavior. The tend-and-befriend regulatory system may protect women against stress, and this may explain why women on average live longer than men.
压力反应的差异可能解释了一个事实，即女性患压力相关疾病的频率较低，如高血压或攻击性行为。照顾友好调节系统可以保护女性免受压力，这可以解释为什么女性平均寿命比男性长。