Chapter 11: Stress & Health Flashcards
An unpleasant physical or psychological reaction to circumstances that are perceived as challenging.
Stress
Circumstances that cause stress.
Stressors
Appraisal
How you evaluate the things that happen to you.
Determines how stressful an event is
Primary appraisal
Determines how capable you are to handle an event.
Secondary Appraisal
3 C’s of Hardiness
Commitment (staying involved vs. Bailing), Controlling (what you can control), Challenge (Seeing a stressor as a challenge that can be faced courageously)
The minor annoyances/aggravations of day to day life that add up to cause significant stress.
Hassles
change
Anything that disrupts one’s daily schedule. (Holmes & Rahe) Greater change= more stressful.
General Adaptation Syndrome
How bodies respond to ongoing stress.
ALARM (fight or flight) –> RESISTANCE (blood pressure/sugar rise to cope w stressor) –> EXHAUSTION (physical reserves depleted; more vulnerable to illness)
Chronic Stress causes:
increase in physical illness
Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI)
Study of the relationship between psychological factors and the immune system
Immunosuppression
Reduced antibody production which decreases ability to fight off various illnesses.
Psychophysiological Disorders
Physical ailments that are partly caused by and/or exacerbated by stress.
EX: Headaches, asthma, diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, colds, HIV, cancer
Psychological stress increases what
Increased susceptibility to anxiety, depression, annoyance, anger, other psychological disorders
Psychological Stress decreases what?
Concentration, attention, care.
What personality traits correlate with high stress levels?
neuroticism, openness.
What personality traits correlate with low stress levels?
Conscientiousness & Extraversion
PTSD
Psychological disorder lasting AT LEAST a month. Feeling on edge, avoiding reminders of traumatic event, difficulty sleeping & concentrating, frequently reliving the event.
Acute Stress disorder
Takes place 3 days- 1 Month after trauma. Feeling dazed, anxious, and experiencing flashbacks.
Adjustment Disorder
AKA SITUATIONAL DEPRESSION. excessively disruptive stress reaction to an identifyable stressor. Does NOT require trauma.
Any situation you perceive as stressful and that causes significant problems in your work, social or home life.
Prolonged Grief Disorder
Person experiences the death of someone followed by grief that is long lasting (> 12 months).
Coping
Any effort to reduce/ manage the experience of stress.
Sympathetic listener; validates provides warmth
Emotional Social Support
Evaluates seriousness of stressor
Appraisal Social Support
