Chap. 5: Stress & Physical & Mental health

Question 1

Stress

Answer 1

psychological condition that involves the experience or perception of challenges to our physical or emotional well-being that exceeds our coping resources and abilities

Question 2

Stressors

Answer 2

• external demands

Question 3

risk factors

Answer 3

• exposure to trauma or abuse, genetics, cumulative stress

Question 4

protective factors

Answer 4

• higher level of optimism, greater psychological control, better social support

Question 5

resilience

Answer 5

• ability to function well and experience very few symptoms following a traumatic event

Question 6

Characteristics of stressors

Answer 6

• the severity of stressor
• how long it lasts (aka Chronicity)
• timing
• how closely it affects own life
• how expected it is
• how controllable it is

Question 7

Allostatic load

Answer 7

biological cost of adapting to stress

Question 8

stress & physical health immune system functioning

Answer 8

• stress is linked to suppression of immune system
• slows healing wounds by 24-40%

Question 9

emotional health

Answer 9

• influences physical health and immune system as well
• Depression
  - disrupted immune function
  - risk of heart disease
• Anxiety
  - risk of heart attack
• social isolation
• positive psychology

Question 10

Mind-Body connection

Answer 10

• our thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and attitudes can positively or negatively affect our biological functioning

Question 11

Treatment of stress-related physical disorders

Answer 11

• biological intervention
  
  • surgery
  • meds
• psychological intervention
  - emotional disclosure
  - relaxation/meditation
  - cognitive-behavior therapy

Question 12

Adjustment disorder

Answer 12

• DSM disorder
• psych response to a common stressor (divorce, death, job loss) that results in clinically significant behavioral or emotional symptoms
• symptoms must begin within 3 months of onset of stressor
• stress causes inability to function normally

Question 13

PTSD

Answer 13

• moved into “Trauma and Stressor-Related Disorders”
• traumatic stressors
  - combat, rape, natural disaster, etc..

Question 14

Acute Stress Disorder

Answer 14

• diagnostic category used when symptoms of PTSD develop shortly after experiencing a traumatic event and last at least 2 days but less than 1 month
• IF SYMPTOMS CONTINUE PAST 1 MONTH - DIAGNOSIS IS PTSD

Question 15

PTSD: causes & risk factors

Answer 15

• type of trauma
  - traumas from human intent (rape)more likely
  to cause PTSD than events not personal in
  nature (natural disaster/accident)
• degree of direct exposure
  - more direct leads to likelihood of PTSD

Question 16

Treatment

Answer 16

• prolonged exposure (PE)
  - involves asking the patient to vividly recount
  the traumatic event over until a decrease in
  emotional response
• Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
  - involves examining thoughts and beliefs about
  trauma itself and its impact on the person
• Written Exposure therapy
  - involves re-writing about experience and
  emotion felt