Managing & Coping With Stress

Question 1

What are the two drug therapies for stress?

Answer 1

-Benzodiazepines (BZ).
-Beta blockers (BB).

Question 2

What is BZ?

Answer 2

A drug that is used to reduce anxiety by slowing down the nervous system.

Question 3

What is GABA?

Answer 3

A neurotransmitter which makes neurones in the brain negatively charged.

Question 4

How does BZ work?

Answer 4

1. GABA is enhanced, reducing the physiological arousal in the CNS.
2. BZs bind to GABA receptors, reducing serotonin activity by making it negatively charged (less likely to fire).
3. Reduction of excitatory neurotransmitters, making the person feel more relaxed.

Question 5

How did Khan (1986) study BZ?

Answer 5

Khan (1986) followed 250 patients over 8 weeks and found that BZs were significantly superior to a placebo.

Question 6

Evaluation points for BZ:

Answer 6

+Real life application: situations where accuracy is important (e.g. snooker, golf).
+Effective, easy, and requires little effort compared to psychological methods.
-Addictive.
-Withdrawal symptoms.

Question 7

What is BB?

Answer 7

A drug that reduces the activity of the fight-or-flight response.

Question 8

How does BB work?

Answer 8

1. BB binds to receptors on the cells of aroused body parts (e.g. heart).
2. Activity of adrenaline & noradrenaline is reduced to reduce physical symptoms of anxiety.
3. The person will feel calmer and less anxious.

Question 9

How did Lockwood (1989) study BB?

Answer 9

Lockwood (1989) found that 27% of 2,000 musicians reported taking BBs to enhance their performance.

Question 10

Evaluation points for BB:

Answer 10

+Effective and work rapidly.
-Unsuitable for all (e.g. diabetes sufferers).
-Short term.

Question 11

What is biofeedback?

Answer 11

A method of training one to control involuntary physiological processes (e.g. heart rate, muscle tension).

Question 12

What did Miller (1961) say about ANS responses?

Answer 12

Miller (1961) suggested that ANS responses could be trained to be voluntary.

Question 13

How does biofeedback work?

Answer 13

1. The client learns their physiological responses using machines to measure heart rate (monitor) and muscle tension (EMG).
2. The client learns techniques to control their physiological responses, reducing adrenaline & noradrenaline production, and reducing stress symptoms.
3. The client learns to use these techniques involuntarily in their everyday life.

Question 14

How did Lemaire (2011) study biofeedback?

Answer 14

Lemaire (2011) found that doctors who were taught biofeedback techniques and used them over 28 days reported lowered stress levels on a questionnaire (compared to a control group).

However, the measures of heart rate and muscle tension didn’t correlate with the questionnaire, weakening validity of results.

Question 15

Evaluation points for biofeedback:

Answer 15

+More suitable for children than drug treatment.
+Reduces pain, lack of side effects.
-Requires expensive specialist equipment.
-Time consuming.

Question 16

What is stress inoculation therapy (SIT)?

Answer 16

A type of CBT (psychological therapy).

Question 17

What did Meichenbaum (1985) say about SIT?

Answer 17

Meichenbaum (1985) believed that although we can’t change the causes of stress, we can change the way we think of stressors.
-Positive thinking: reduce stress response.
-Negative thinking: anxiety & depression.

Question 18

How does SIT work?

Answer 18

1. Conceptualisation: the client and therapist identifies the stressor (e.g. mock exam).
2. Skills Acquisition: the client learns skills that are taught and tailored to the client’s own problems (e.g. time management).
3. Application: the client will apply these skills to the real world (e.g. real exam).

Question 19

How did Sheehy & Horgan (2004) study SIT?

Answer 19

Sheehy & Horgan (2004) had law students take weekly SIT sessions, each lasting 90 minutes. All participants displayed lower stress levels over time, and performed better academically.

Question 20

Evaluation points for SIT:

Answer 20

+Can practice at home, unlike biofeedback.
+No side effects, unlike drugs.
+One has the learnt skills for life.
-Time consuming, requires commitment.
-Depends on the compatibility between the therapist and the client.