EXAM 2 - Stress and Physical Health

Question 1

Behavioral medicine:

Answer 1

Knowledge derived from behavioral science is applied to prevention, diagnosis and treatment of medical problems

Question 2

Health psychology:

Answer 2

Study of psychological factors that promote and maintain health as well as health care systems and health policy

Question 3

Stress

Answer 3

A challenging event that requires physiological, cognitive, or behavioral adaptation.

Question 4

Health and Health-Related Behavior

Answer 4

50% of the leading causes of death in the U.S. are linked to behavioral / lifestyle patterns
Smoking
Poor eating habits
Lack of exercise
Insufficient injury control

Question 5

Psychological and Social Factors ThatInfluence Health

Answer 5

Psychological, behavioral, and social factors contribute to etiology and maintenance of medical disorders
Two primary paths
Psychological factors influence biological processes
Behavior patterns increase disease risk

Question 6

Psychological Factors: Folkman and Lazarus’s Model of Stress and Coping

Answer 6

Stressors combined with our cognitive and behavioral responses determine outcome
Primary Appraisal is the cognitive evaluation of challenge, threat, or harm
Secondary Appraisal is the cognitive evaluation of one’s abilities and resources for coping
Coping Actions are behavior responses (ex., problem-focused, emotion-focused, avoidance)

Question 7

Stress and Stress Response

Answer 7

Nature of stress: Increases vulnerability for developing physical and mental health problems

General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS): theory of stress response
Phase 1 – Alarm response
Phase 2 – Resistance: attempt to cope with stress
Phase 3 – Exhaustion: body suffers damage

Chronic stress will damage the fight or flight response
Stress will activate the sympathetic nervous system and result in a variety of physical problems if stress is chronic.
Chronic stress can impact health (e.g., blood pressure; heart rate; headaches; stomachaches)
Psychological and social factors can determine whether potential stressors are stressors and mitigate the impact on our physiology

Question 8

The Physiology of Stress

Answer 8

Stress activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis
The Hypothalamus releases corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and stimulates the pituitary gland
The Pituitary gland activates the adrenal gland, secreting cortisol (stress hormone)
Ordinarily the hippocampus turns off the stress response, but can be damaged by excessive or chronic stress

Question 9

Physiological Reactions to Stress and the Immune System

Answer 9

Immune system function
Identify and eliminate foreign materials (antigens)
Two parts: humoral and cellular
Includes white blood cells (leukocytes), B and T cells (lymphocytes), macrophages
Overreactive immune system may attack body’s own cells
Stress effects the immune system (Psychoneuroimmunology—PNI)
Glucocorticoids are adrenal hormones secreted under stress
Glucocorticoids inhibit or destroy T Cells (Lymphocytes) that combat infection (antigens)

Question 10

Physiological Reactions to Stress

Answer 10

Thus, stress may make you more susceptible to disease; however, psychological and social factors can buffer the impact of stress on health.
Research confirms that coping well with stress may increase immune system function (e.g., extending the lives of women with breast cancer)
Likewise, coping poorly with stress impacts physiology in multiple ways and can exacerbate health problems or trigger them (e.g., denial in some cases; avoidant coping)
Some chronic psychological factors can make people vulnerable to health problems (depression; anxiety)

Question 11

Psychological Factors Affecting Other Medical Conditions (DSM-5)

Answer 11

These have also been referred to as Psychophysiological Disorders
There is a known physical disorder that is exacerbated by psychological factors.
Examples: Ulcers, Headaches, Asthma, Hypertension, Coronary Heart Disease, Pain, Cancer

Question 12

One Example: Coronary Heart Disease

Answer 12

Risk Factors
Medical Conditions: Hypertension, Genetics
Behavior: Smoking, fatty diet, overweight, alcohol consumption, lack of exercise, personality
Personality Types (Type A)
CHD has been linked to Type A behavior pattern
Anger
Excessive drive and competitiveness
Impatience
Accelerated speech
Agitated motor activity
CHD also linked to chronic negative affect, low SES and stressful experiences

Question 13

Interventions for CHD

Answer 13

Cognitive-Behavioral interventions are effective and include the following:
Exercise training
Alter Type A thinking and behavior patterns
Role playing
Cognitive therapy to alter beliefs/thinking and develop more realistic goals
Stress Management

Question 14

Comprehensive Stress- and Pain-Reduction Program for medical Conditions affected by Psychological Factors

Answer 14

Monitor and identify stressful events
Times, intensity, triggers
Monitor somatic symptoms
Muscle relaxation
Cognitive therapy
Increase coping strategies
Time management
Assertiveness training
More effective than individual components

Question 15

Specific components of Treatment

Answer 15

Relaxation and meditation
Progressive muscle relaxation
Transcendental meditation (TM) focuses attention on a repeated mantra
Increased sense of control and mastery
May improve headache, hypertension, acute and chronic pain

Question 16

Modifying Behaviors to Promote Health

Answer 16

Injury prevention
Accidents are a leading cause of death from ages 1-45
Programmatic efforts needed
Example: Successful programs have taught children how to escape fires and cross streets
Modifying health impairing behaviors
Smoking Cessation treatment
Exercise groups