Acute and chronic stress in duodenal ulcer disease. Acute and chronic life event stressors were objectively assessed in a sample of duodenal ulcer patients and community controls. Stress was assessed on two dimensions, "personal threat" and "goal frustration." Chronic stressors (those of 6 months' duration or more) involving high goal frustration were significantly and independently associated with the onset and relapse of duodenal ulcers, as were acute events of high immediate but transient personal threat. 