The UK government is suffering from a condition known as “institutional allostatic load” — a state of chronic wear and tear caused by relentless political and economic upheaval — as Sir Keir Starmer becomes the sixth prime minister to resign in ten years, experts have warned.
What is allostatic load?
First coined in biology, allostatic load describes the cumulative physical and mental damage that occurs when a body — or, by extension, an organisation — is forced to adapt to prolonged or repeated stress without sufficient time to recover. Psychologist Lucy Beresford told Metro that it is “the cumulative impact of external instability” and refers to “the detrimental impact on the body and mind when you’ve suffered under prolonged or regular stress.” When an institution such as the government is trapped in a constant cycle of adaptation and crisis management, it can develop its own institutional allostatic load — a state that undermines its ability to function, implement change, or allow leaders to flourish.
The toll on government and individuals
The rapid succession of prime ministers — David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak and now Keir Starmer — is seen by psychologists as a symptom of this deeper dysfunction. Hannah Jackson-McCamley, a UKCP psychotherapist, said the government “could easily have a problem with an allostatic load, especially when it comes to those at the helm.” She explained: “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, and whatever you do, you’re a bit stuck.” Starmer, who announced his resignation on 22 June 2026 citing growing pressure and an inability to lead the party into the next general election, never had a chance to recover from the stress of the campaign, she added. “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 of any of this. The institution and the state of the country wasn’t going to allow him to flourish, so I can’t believe there wasn’t an allostatic load.”
The consequences of prolonged stress on the body and mind are profound. When faced with a threat, the body releases hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline to fuel the “fight or flight” response. Lucy Beresford explained that “it’s fine if it happens as a one-off or very infrequently, but if your body is exposed to a lot of stress, this can build up and have an effect on the muscles, tissues, and organs. It wears the body down without having time to heal or replenish.” Over time this can exacerbate existing health issues, such as high blood pressure, and weaken the immune system, leaving people “on the brink” and prone to more frequent illnesses and infections. Psychologically, the constant state of alert can trigger anxiousness, helplessness and depression. “You might be having more illnesses, more infections, and it can affect your mental health, too, because you don’t feel very safe,” said Beresford. There is even a theory, she noted, that the stress hormones can cause fat to settle around the abdomen, increasing abdominal weight gain.
The research briefing adds that chronic allostatic overload — where internal resources are overwhelmed — carries long-term health risks including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, autoimmune disorders, cognitive decline and mental health disorders. Leaders in high-stakes roles are especially vulnerable to burnout, characterised by chronic exhaustion, cynicism, emotional detachment and a diminished sense of accomplishment. The constant need to appear composed while managing one crisis after another — from the financial crisis and the pandemic to the wars in Ukraine and Iran — prevents the recovery that is essential for healthy functioning. Beresfeld noted that the last five to ten years of politics have been “quite chaotic for a lot of people,” adding: “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?” The instability is “very stressful for human beings,” she said.
The wider public is also feeling the strain. Both psychologists cited the Iran war, which has caused fuel prices to surge and contributed to a 0.1% contraction in the UK economy in April 2026, and the war in Ukraine, which pushed UK wholesale gas prices up 40% and oil prices 11%, feeding inflation that at one point was forecast to peak above 7%. The COVID-19 pandemic, lockdowns, Brexit-related workforce shortages and supply chain disruptions, and the legacy of austerity have all compounded a pervasive sense of uncertainty. Hannah Jackson-McCamley added that when personal stressors — relationship problems, difficult work projects, hating a job — are layered on top, it is not surprising that many people are finding it hard to cope.
The signs of allostatic load
Distinguishing allostatic load from ordinary, finite stress is crucial. “What makes up the allostatic load are environmental stressors, physiological stressors and trauma and life events,” Jackson-McCamley explained. “I think it’s when you start noticing that there’s physiological aspects, mood changes and a sense things are just never ending.” A stressful work project or moving house has an end point; allostatic load is characterised by being “in a constant hamster wheel of those symptoms” with a sense of helplessness. Jackson-McCamley noted that when Starmer became emotional and choked up at the end of his resignation speech, it may have been “a hint of burnout where emotions are spilling as opposed to being processed.” The five key signs to watch for, according to the experts, are: feeling weary or much more tired than normal; a change in eating habits (over-eating, under-eating, excessive alcohol use, reaching for lots of sugar); being ill more often or getting more infections; putting on weight; and feeling helpless or depressed.