Health, Stress and Coping Flashcards
What are the two pathways of stress? What health outcome do they represent?
Pathogenic - Negative Health
Salutogenic - Positive Health
What are the subtypes of stress?
Eustress, Distress, Acute Stress and Chronic Stress.
What is stress?
A negative emotional experience accompanied by predictable physical, psychological, and behavioural responses directed at alleviation or accommodation
What is a stressor?
Stimuli that contributes towards stress
What are the two general response to stress? What nervous system pathway do they activate
Fight or Flight - Sympathetic
Tend and Befriend - Parasympathetic
What are the three stages of response to stress?
Alarm reaction, Resistance, Exhaustion
What is the physiology of stress?
Sympathetic activation.
Cerebral cortex appraises
Signals Hypothalamus.
Hypothalamus initiates the Sympathetic Nervous system through the HPA axis
(Acute stress can bypass the cortex, through the amygdala)
Describe symptoms of sympathetic activation
Dilated pupils, relaxes bronchi, accelerates heartbeat, inhibits digestion, contracts blood vessels.
Describe symptoms of parasympathetic activation
Contracts pupils, constricts bronchi, slows heartbeat, stimulates digestion, dilates vessels.
What is the role of cortisol?
Manages how the body uses carbs, fats Keeps inflammation down Regulates BP Increases glucose Boosts energy
What are the two types of Stress Appraisal?
Primary appraisal.
The individual determines a threat to his or her wellbeing.
Secondary appraisal.
The individual determines the coping resources that are available and the likelihood that they can be employed successfully.
What are four factors that can influence primary appraisal?
Demandingness
Awfulising
Low-frustration tolerance
Depreciation
What are two coping strategies in secondary appraisal?
Problem-focused
Actions that have the goal of changing or eliminating the stressor
Emotion-focused
Shifting your attention away from the stressor and toward other activities
Seeking social support
What are the pathways for illness from stress?
Direct
injury etc
Indirect
Physiological - elevated blood pressure/Immune response
Behavioural - negative coping strategies.
What is Social Cognitive Theory?
Core beliefs that drive behaviour. They are deeply held and resistant to change.
