introduction to stress and health Flashcards
why is it important for healthcare workers to know about stress?
- exposure to stress is linked with a greater risk of chronic mental and physical health problems
-stressors and dysregulated stress responses linked to changes in immunity that can increase risk of infections
-life stressors can alter biological processes & behavioural responses that promote the progression of illness
-stress is linked to a greater use of health care services
in what 3 ways can stress be thought of and studied as?
- stimulus models - ie what stressful events affect us?
-transactional models/ psychological models - why does stress affect us?
-response / reactions models - how does stress affect us?
what are examples of stressful events that can affect us?
-catastrophic events eg floods or earthquakes
-major live events - eg losing a job, getting married, getting divorced, giving birth, going on holiday
-hassles and uplifts - everyday transactions that cause demands eg traffic jamb
Describe Lazarus transactional model of stress - the stress coping paradigm
- stressor - something happens that challenges you and stresses you out .. may be external eg work or internal
- primary appraisal - you then decide how bad the situation is - you might think this is really bad or I ca handle this
- secondary appraisal - you then figure out what you can do about it - thinking about your skills eg strength and determination, support and resources
- coping - you try to deal with the stress eg talking to friends, taking a break - trying something to help feel less stressed
- outcome - either might feel better and less stressed or you might still feel v stressed and have a hard time dealing with it
describe the life events theory
this theory describes how certain life events can act as stressors that trigger both psychological and physiological responses
what are stress appraisals?
-they are the evaluations or judgements that a person makes about a stressful situation or event
-see it as a threat or challenge
-they are crucial as they influence how a person perceives and responds to stressors
what is a limitation of the life events theory?
its failure to account for individual differences in stress response and coping mechanisms
what are examples of factors that are associated with stress appraisals?
- the perceived control - if a person thinks they have more control- they will likely see it as a challenge rather than threat
-high amounts of life change
-confidence, familiarity etc
in terms of appraisals, demands and resources, how does stress arise?
stress arises when there is a mismatch between our appraisals and demands and of our abilities and coping resources
briefly describe stress as a response - emotional, physiological and behavioural
- emotional - annoyance, anger, anxiety, fear
-physiological - autonomic arousal, hormonal fluctuations
-behavioural - coping efforts, lashing out at others, blaming oneself, seeking help, solving problems and releasing emotions
define coping strategies
anything we do to reduce or overcome stress
- can be adaptive or maladaptive
what are examples of maladaptive coping strategies ?
- poor nutrition
-lack of exercise
-alcohol and drug use
-smoking
-risky sex behaviour
what is the positive linear theory on the relationship between stress and performance ?
-suggests that stress increases as well as performance up to a certain point
- low moderate stress levels, the person may lack motivation and have a sub-optimal performance
at moderate stress levels, people experience arousal and motivation, leading to better performance
-peak performance - optimal level of stress at which performance peaks
what is an example of adaptive coping?
-cognitive reappraisal
-changing the way you think about a situation in order to alter its emotional impact.
- changing your interpretation or perspective of the situation.
what is the negative linear theory on the relationship between stress and performance?
- as stress increases, performance decreases steadily
- This theory suggests that any amount of stress, even at low levels, can have a negative impact on performance,
what are 3 factors that improve coping?
-social support
-optimism - appraise events in a less threatening
-perceived control - have a perception of control over our circumstances
what are common coping responses in chronic illness?
-normalising - ie acknowledging symptoms but redefines them as normal to neutralise threaat
-denial - not acknowledging that something is wrong
-avoidance - avoid situations that make symptoms worse
-resignation - giving up or ceasing efforts
-accommodation - acknowledges and deals with problems - ie manages symptoms
describe the inverted U theory of stress / Yerkes-Dodson law
-proposes that there is an optimal level of arousal or stress for performance on a task
-performance increases with arousal or stress up to a certain point, after which further increases in arousal lead to a decline in performance.
what is the autonomic system response to stress?
- activation of the SNS
-SNS causes release of adrenaline and Noradrenaline
-causes rapid breathing, dry mouth, increase in HR, decreases non essential functions like digestion and reproduction functions
what is the endocrine response to stress?
-slow response
-activates the hypothalamic pituitary adrenocortical HPA system
-corticotropin releasing hormone / factor
-affects every major organ system
-eg increase in blood flow, decrease in immune system, decrease of inflammation of any damaged tissue
what are some examples of practical stress ,management tips - for lifestyle ?
-sleep- get optimum sleep
- decrease caffeine intake as caffeine increases release of stress hormones
-regular exercise - endorphins
-time out/ pacing and maintaining a good work life balance
what are examples of cognitive and behavioural stress management tips?
- venting / support system
-changing triggers - identifying situations that contribute to stress and changing them
-identify triggers and practice behavioural responses
-relaxation techniques eg breathing, meditation
-cognitive techniques eg restricting / reframing - changes perspective
