5.1 STRESS AND HEALTH

Question 1

define stress

Answer 1

the process by which we percieve and respond to certain events or stressors that we view as challenging or threatening, rxn stems from appraisal of the stimulus

Question 2

who founded stress theory and what is its alternate name

Answer 2

Hans Selye

Question 3

general adaptation theory

Answer 3

challenges cause stress and stress causes challenges in the absence of proper adaptive response

Question 4

describe the body’s stress resistance

Answer 4

stress resistance systems are protective in the short term and then lose their resilience and elasticity if used over a prolonged period, and eventually expose the individual to chronic illness when exhaustion sets in

Question 5

name the ways cortisol effects the body

Answer 5

o Cortisol inc heart rate + blood pressure + blood sugar
o Distributes blood to large muscles
o Hands sweat
o Immune system is suppressed, keeping precious resources available for emergency fight-or-flight rxns
o Decrease serotonin
o Decrease sensitivity to pain
o Heightened memory + attention

Question 6

describe the route from stress to health, starting with stressor and ending in the release of cortisol

Answer 6

stressor triggers amygdala, amydala stimulates hypothalamus, hypothalamus signals anterior pituary, pituary produces ACTH, ACTH stimulates adrenal glands to release cortisol into bloodstream

Question 7

describe how chronic stress can negatively effect health

Answer 7

allostatic overload; constant high cortisol levels are associated with ulcers, heart disease etc. BECAUSE cells and organs get damaged

Question 8

allostasis

Answer 8

metabolic and immune parameters our body is equipped to operate within

Question 9

3 types of stressors

Answer 9

catastrophic, major [signif life changes], micro [everyday hassles]

Question 10

examples of catastrophic stressors

Answer 10

natural or manmade disasters eg war

Question 11

what does srss stand for

Answer 11

social readjustment rating scale

Question 12

explain the SRSS

Answer 12

identifying major stressful life events, each event awarded a life change unit depending on degree of trauma, total stress value summed from events over last year, score tells % of chance suffering from stress and chance of developing a stress based illness

Question 13

why is social life relevant to stress

Answer 13

the more social contacts one has, the longer they live, on average

Question 14

what are some indirect links between stress and health

Answer 14

• Stress weakens immune system by promoting unhealthy behaviours
• Study of 30k men after divorce: drink + smoke more, eat fewer veg + more fried food
• Stress indirectly contributes to obesity + cancer risk + cardiovascular disease, by producing unhelpful changes in diet or maintains unhealthy eating behaviours + lifestyle

Question 15

what are some direct links between stress and health

Answer 15

• Direct impact on immune system
• Psychoneuroimmunology research – quantitiative + functional research
• Finding: family care-givers of Alzheimer’s patients also had reduced anxiety
• 8-day study: blister wounds on healthy volunteers, anger management assessed, those w/ higher stress and anger levels secreted more cortisol, would healed more slowly (Gouin et al., 2008)

Question 16

what is the issue with a lot of research claiming that stress causally/directionally effects health

Answer 16

in a lot of research stress is being manipulated or operationalised

Question 17

name 2 methodological innovations in stress research that were able to support the idea of stress as causally relevant

Answer 17

viral challenge studies + vaccine studies, they dont manipulate stress as a variable, only account for it

Question 18

viral challenge approach [Cohen]

Answer 18

healthy volunteers exposed to virus then tested for infection ; and non-exposed control group

Question 19

outcome of viral challenge studies

Answer 19

of those that were infected, the ones who got the full blown virus had higher stress than those who did not and had low stress.

Question 20

vaccine study approach [glasser]

Answer 20

examine antibody blood response in sample after receiving vaxx

Question 21

vaccine study outcome

Answer 21

those with lower levels of stress showed greatest response level to vaccine, had more antibodies

Question 22

how might social class effect health, in a negative way

Answer 22

o Fewer parks + rec spaces in poorer areas
o Higher rates of crime + violence
o Fewer outlets selling fruit + veg, ‘food deserts’
o Fewer health centres
o Lower SES jobs, less autonomy
o Low status is threatening, stressful + linked to poorer physical health

Question 23

what does ACE stand for

Answer 23

adverse childhood experiences

Question 24

how may ACEs be linked to stress/health

Answer 24

ACE linked with cortisol dysfunction, poor self-control, higher stress, higher risk of addiction

Question 25

name 2 mediators of stress

Answer 25

coping style + personality

Question 26

how may coping style mediate stress

Answer 26

12 coping styles, some functional, some dysfunctional

Question 27

what 2 types of adaptive coping are there

Answer 27

problem focused and emotion focused

Question 28

problem-focused coping examples

Answer 28

 Active coping
 Planning
 Instrumental support

Question 29

emotion-focused coping examples

Answer 29

 Acceptance
 Emotional support
 Humour
 Positive reframing
 Religion

Question 30

maladaptive coping examples

Answer 30

o Venting, denial, substance use, behavioural disengagement, self-distraction, self-blame

Question 31

is verbal or written emotional disclosure about trauma more beneficial in the long term

Answer 31

verbal emotional disclosure

Question 32

describe how personality may mediate stress

Answer 32

personality differences mean that some people simply don’t handle stress well

Question 33

name 2 personality traits that have been linked with stress

Answer 33

negative affectivity and conscientiousness

Question 34

how does conscientiousness relate to stress

Answer 34

linked to good health because it is linked to lower stress, tend to choose healthier diets, have higher levels of education which produces direct and indirect health outcomes

Question 35

how might one reduce stress

Answer 35

focus on adaptive coping, exercise, cultivate positive emotions, meditate

Question 36

name 3 key people linked to stress and what they are known for

Answer 36

Hans Selye - founded stress theory
Cohen - viral challenge approach
Glaser - vaccine studies