lecture 6 Flashcards
stress, coping and health
what is stress?
- Stress is the tension, discomfort, or physical
symptoms that arise when a stressor strains our
ability to cope effectively - A traumatic event is a stressor so severe that it
can produce long-term psychological or health
consequences
What is Stress?
Emotional, physiological, behavioural, and
cognitive experiences in response to perceived
threats or challenges
three approaches to stress
Stressors as Stimuli:
-Identifies different types of stressful events (e.g., work, relationships, major life changes).
Stress as a Transaction:
Subjective experience:
Primary appraisal: Is the event harmful?
Secondary appraisal: How can I cope?
Coping strategies:
-Problem-focused coping: Directly tackling life’s challenges.
-Emotion-focused coping: Changing how we feel about the situation (e.g., positive thinking).
Stress as a Response:
Physiological:
Increased heart rate, stress hormones (e.g., cortisol).
Psychological:
Feelings of hopelessness, hostility, depression.
measuring stress
Major Life Events:
Social Readjustment Rating Scale: Ranks stressful events (e.g., death of a spouse, job change).
Correlation: Number of major life events can relate to physical and psychological health.
Limitation: Doesn’t account for coping resources or chronic issues.
Hassles:
Minor annoyances (e.g., traffic, disagreements) can also impact health.
More hassles are associated with poorer physical health, depression, and anxiety, even when major life events are controlled for.
mechanics of stress
Stage 1: Alarm
Autonomic nervous system activates.
Stress hormones (e.g., cortisol) are released.
Physical symptoms of anxiety appear.
Involves HPA axis and fight-or-flight response.
Stage 2: Resistance
The body adapts and finds ways to cope with the stressor.
Stage 3: Exhaustion
With prolonged stress, resistance breaks down.
Can lead to physical or psychological damage.
diversity of stress responses
Fight or Flight
Physical and psychological reaction to mobilize for defense (fight) or escape (flight).
Tend and Befriend
Nurturing (tend) or seeking social support (befriend) in response to stress, often observed in females.
Freeze
When neither fight nor flight is possible, the body may freeze, immobilizing both physically and emotionally.
PTSD
-Condition that can follow extremely stressful or traumatic life events.
-Influenced by severity, duration, and nearness of the event.
-Can arise from multiple traumatic events, not just one.
-Higher risk in certain occupations (e.g., military, emergency responders).
-Lifetime prevalence: 5% in males, 10% in females.
coping with stress
Social Support:
* interpersonal relations with people, groups,
community
* Four social ties that buffer against stress
(Berkman & Syme):
* 1. marriage
* 2. contact with friends
* 3. church membership
* 4. formal/informal group association
Coping with stress: Strategies
* Behavioural control
* AKA Problem-focused coping
* Ability to do something to reduce the impact of a
stressful situation/prevent recurrence
* Better than avoidance
Coping with stress: Strategies
* Cognitive control
* AKA Emotion-focused coping
* Ability to cognitively restructure or think
differently about negative emotions
Coping with stress: Strategies
* Decisional control
* Ability to choose among alternative courses of
action
* Informational control
* Ability to acquire information about a stressful
event
* Proactive coping
* Emotional control
* Ability to suppress and express emotions
individual differences
Hardiness:
Challenge-oriented mindset, seeing change as an opportunity.
Committed to life and work, with a belief in control over events.
Linked to low anxiety and calm stress reactions.
Optimism:
More productive, focused, and better at handling frustration.
Lower mortality rates and better immune function.
Spirituality and Religious Involvement:
Promotes self-control, a sense of community, and meaning/purpose.
Ruminating:
Focusing on negatives and endlessly analyzing problems, which can worsen stress.
More common in women and linked to depression.
flexible coping
Suppression and Avoidance:
-Avoiding emotions can distract from solving problems.
-May lead to emotions resurfacing stronger later.
-Flexible coping involves adapting strategies based on the situation, promoting better emotional regulation and problem-solving.
how stress impacts our health
Immune System:
-Stress can weaken the immune system.
-Stress hormones like cortisol can reduce the effectiveness of phagocytes and lymphocytes (T and B cells).
-This makes us more vulnerable to infections and illnesses.
what is Psychoneuroimmunology?
Psychoneuroimmunology is the study of how the immune system, nervous system, and psychological factors interact.
Example:
Chronic stress can weaken the immune system, making you more susceptible to illnesses like the cold.
Caregiving stress, such as caring for someone with Alzheimer’s, can slow healing and reduce the ability to clot blood.
stress-related illnesses
- Physical illnesses that emotions and stress
contribute to or maintain are called
psychophysiological - Ulcers (caused by bacteria)
- Coronary heart disease
- Biopsychosocial perspective on illness
Coronary Heart Disease
* The complete or partial blockage of the
arteries that provide oxygen to the heart
* Key risk factors:
* Family history
* Smoking
* High cholesterol, blood pressure
* Stress
* “Type A” personality
* Anger and hostility**
