Midterm Flashcards
What is health psychology?
Understanding psychological influences on how people stay healthy, why people get ill, and how they respond to illness
What are the four main functions of WHO?
- To give worldwide guidance in the field of health
- To set global standards for health
- To cooperate with governments in strengthening national health programs
- To develop and transfer appropriate health technology, information and standards
What does health psychology focus on?
- health promotion and maintenance
- prevention and treatment of illness
- etiology and correlated of health, illness, and dysfunction
- improving health care system and policy
What did early cultures believe about the mind and body?
Believed that mind and body were a unit
Disease arose when evil spirits entered
Employed trephination
What is the humoral theory?
An imbalance in one of the four essential fluids (blood, black bile, yellow bike, and phlegm) led to change in state
Personality types were associated with dominant humoral variables
Aligns with mind-body unitary hypothesis
What was believed in the Middle Ages about the body mind relationship?
Disease was attributed to evil forces and arose when evil spirits entered
Ritualistic torture was employed
Religion infiltrated medical knowledge
Functions of the physician were absorbed by the priest
Level of health was associated with degree of faith
What was the belief in the Renaissance about the mind and body?
Improvements in microscopy and autopsy led to the rejection of the humoral theory
Initiated the mind body dualism movement
Physicians were associated with body
Philosophers were associated with mind
What did Descartes believe?
The mind was a thinking thing and an immaterial substance
The mind can exist apart from its extended body and therefore is a substance distinct from the body, a substance whose essence is thought
What was freuds conversion hysteria?
Mind causes deficit in body
Patient converts conflicts into a symptom
What is psychosomatic medicine?
Bodily disorders cause psychosomatic issues
Define behavioural medicine
The interdisciplinary field which integrates behavioural science and biomedical science for understanding physical health
Prevent, diagnose, treat, and rehabilitate
What are the current views of health?
Physical health is correlated with both the psychological and social environment
Personal controls of health are diet, physical fitness, and harmful behaviours
Social determined factors are culture, socio-economic factors, and the availability of health resources
What is the biopsychosocial model?
Assumes the coordinated influences of biological factors, psychological factors, and social factors
What is the biomedical model of health?
Assumes that psychological/social factors are independent
Based on biochemical or neurophysiological differences
What does the biopsychosocial model deal with?
Both macro and micro level processes interact
A health state is not the steady state
Define macro and micro
Macro: depression, social support
Micro: chemical imbalance, cellular disorder
Define the systems theory
All levels of organization (micro/macro) are linked and changes in one will affect the other
What are the clinical implications of the BPS model?
All three factors must be considered in diagnosis
Treatment can be individualized and allow for team therapy
Strengthens the patient-practitioner relationship
Compare biomedical and biopsychosocial
Reductionistic : macrolevel as well as microlevel
Single causal factor considered : multiple causal factors considered
Assumes mind-body dualism : mind and body inseparable
Emphasizes illness over health : emphasizes both health and illness
What are the two main sections of the nervous system?
Central nervous system (CNS)
Peripheral nervous system (PNS)
Describe the CNS
Consists of brain and spinal cord
Brain is contained in the cranial cavity and protected by skull
Spinal cord is contained in the spinal cavity and protected by vertebrae
Describe the spinal cavity
Highway from body parts to brain and back
Exceptionally fast but sensitive to damage
What are the two divisions of the somatic nervous system?
Somatic nervous system
Autonomic nervous system
Describe the somatic nervous system
Things we have control over and allows use to understand our environment around us
Voluntary
Connects brain to voluntary muscles
Provides sensory feedback about voluntary movement
Less protected that CNS
Describe the autonomic nervous system
Involuntary
Connects brain to internal organs
Sympathetic and parasympathetic
Describe the sympathetic division of ANS
Responds to danger and stress
Happens automatically we don’t think about it
Physiological changes - heart rate, bp
Adrenaline (fight or flight)
Describe the fight or flight response
Automatic decision we don’t consider the two options, it’s a personally trait or gut decision
Generally one type or the other
Acute stress response
What is an acute stress response?
Short lived stress response brought on by a stressor or situation
Sometimes a good thing that it’s automatic because there is not always time to think
Describe the parasympathetic division of the ANS
Controls organs at baseline
Agonistic to the SNS
Active when individual feels relaxed
Stimulates digestion (rest and digest)
What are the three sections of the brain?
Hindbrain
Midbrain
Forebrain
What does the hindbrain consist of?
Medulla: mediates heart rate, bp, and CO2/O2 concentration
Pons: link between hindbrain and midbrain and helps control respiration
Cerebellum: coordinates voluntary muscle movement, balance/equilibrium, muscle tone and posture
What is the function of the midbrain?
More advanced than the hindbrain
Relay sensory and motor info between forbrain and hindbrain
Visual and auditory reflexes
Production of dopamine
Why did the hindbrain develop?
To help us survive
What are the two main sections of the forebrain?
Diencephalon
Telencephalon
What are the parts of the diencephalon section?
Thalamus and hypothalamus
What are the functions of the thalamus?
Some very high level,important functions
Relay sensation, spatial sense, and motor signals to the cerebral cortex
Regulation of consciousness, sleep, and alertness
Switchboard
What are the functions of the hypothalamus?
Regulate parts of medulla that control cardiac function, bp, and respiration
Regulation of water balance, appetite, and sexual desire
Link to the endocrine system via pituitary gland
What does the telecephalon consist of?
Contains left and right cerebral cortex
Both sides are symmetric but preform related but different tasks
What are the functions of the cerebral cortex?
Involved in higher order intelligence, memory, and personality
Processing of sensory and motor information
Contains four lines
Describe neurotransmitters?
Regulate both CNS and PNS function
SNS secretes norepinephrine and epinephrine
Can modulate physiology, alertness
Repeated activation linked to chronic disease
What are some disorders of the nervous system?
Epilepsy Parkinson's Alzheimers Cerebral palsy MS Huntingtons Depression Anxiety Schizophrenia
What’s the problem with chronic stress?
Increase throughout your lifetime increasing the chance of developing a nervous system disorder
Describe the endocrine system
System of ductless glands which secrete hormones directly in to the blood
Allows hormones to be pumped around your body
Interacts with nervous system
Slow acting, long lasting changes to the body
Regulated by hypothalamus and pituitary
What does the pituitary do and what are the two lobes?
Helps coordinate and release hormones
Anterior and posterior
What does the anterior lobe do?
Secretes hormones for growth: somatotrophic, gonadotrophic, and adrenocorticotropic hormone
What does the posterior lone do?
Produces oxytocin (controls contractions during labour), vasopressin (water absorption in kidneys)
What are the adrenal glands?
Two small glands located on top of the kidneys
Each consists of adrenal medulla (epinephrine and norepinephrine) and adrenal cortex: stimulated by ACTH from the pituitary gland than releases hormones (steroids)
What is the adrenal medulla responsible for with the SNS under stress?
Secretion of catecholamines (fight and flight)
What is the adrenal cortex responsible for from the pituitary gland when under stress?
Body decreases energy expenditure in order to maintain energy for fight
Makes decisions to deal with injuries after fight by inhibiting antibodies and saving energy
What are some disorders of the endocrine system?
Diabetes Osteoporosis Cushing's syndrome Menopause Obesity
What is obesity considered a disorder of the endocrine system?
Can often be lined to inappropriate levels of certain hormones regulating hunger
Can also cause hormones to be released inappropriate once beginning
Describe the cardiovascular system
Composed of the heart vessels and blood
Blood carries oxygen from the lungs to the tissues and CO2 expelled as breath
Blood carries nutrients, waste and hormones
What does the left side of the heart do? The right side?
Left Takes oxygenated blood from the lungs
Right sends deoxygenated blood to lungs
Define systole and diastole
Systole: blood is pumped out of the heart
Diastole: blood is taken into the heart
What are some disorders of the cardiovascular system?
Quite common and extremely powerful
Lots linked to life choices and may not appear for year then kill you
Atherosclerosis (hardening of arteries and blood vessels in heart): angina pectoris or myocardial infraction
Arteriosclerosis (hardening and clogging of arteries)
Aneurysm
What are the three main functions of the respiratory system?
Acquire oxygen into the body
Excrete carbon dioxide out of the body
Regulate the composition of the blood
Is inspiration of air an active or passive process?
Requires energy to contract muscles and expand lungs inside the thorax
Active
Contraction of muscles
Lungs expand inside thorax
Is expiration of air an active or passive process?
Passive
Relaxation of the lung
What controls respiration?
The medulla
Chemical composition of the blood can modulate activity (will changes levels of activity in regards to chemical compositions)
Higher co2 and respiration increases
Lower and decreases
What are some disorders of the respiratory system?
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease - generally related to health choices
Pneumonia
Tuberculosis
Asthma
Asphyxia, anoxia (low levels of oxygen to the brain ex. Smoking), and hyperventilation
What is the main functions of the immune system?
Protect body from foreign substances
Can interact with psychological and neuroendocrine factors to modulate health
How does the immune system interact with psychological and neuroendocine factors to modulate health?
Chronic stesss causes the immune system to work less efficiently allowing more illness
What can disease be caused by?
Infection
Genetic defects
Hormone imbalances
Nutritional deficiencies
How is infection transmitted?
Direct transmission (HPV, herpes) Indirect transmission (influenza) Biological transmission (mosquito-yellow fever) Mechanical transmission (hands, rats)
What is the immune system implicated in?
Infection
Allergies: inappropriately recognizing something as a foreign item and initiates histidine response, antihistidine mutes effects
Cancer: targets its own body as cancerous cells allowing them to multiply and cause tumors
Autoimmune disorders: immune system isn’t functioning correctly and is attacking itself inappropriately
What is natural immunity?
Défense against a variety of pathogens
Largest group of cells is granulocytes including neutrophils and macrophages, which are phagocytes
Neutrophiles and macrophage she congregate st the site of injury or infection
Release toxic substances
What do macrophages do?
Release cytokines which:
Lead to inflammation
Fever
Promote wound healing
What do natural killer cells do?
Slightly more targeted than macrophages
Recognize viral infections or cancer cells
Lyse cells by releasing toxic factors
Important in signalling potential malignancies
Limits early phases of viral infections
What is specific immunity?
Slower process but more specific
Lymphocytes have very specific receptors for one antigen: target one type of foreign body, arrive and multiply very quickly creating a very localized response in the targeted area
One activated they divide to create a proliferative response
How do the specific and natural immunity interact?
Work together
Natural followed by specific
What is humoral immunity?
Mediated by B lymphocytes
Provide protection against bacteria
Neutralize toxins produced by bacteria
Prevent viral infections
What is cell-mediated immunity?
Involves t-lymphocytes from the thymus gland
Operates at the cellular level
Cytotoxic (Tc) cells response to specific antigens
Helper T (Th) cells enhance functioning of Tc cells, B cells and macrophages
What is health promotion? What are it’s different perspective?
The process of enabling people to increase control over and to improve their health
Individual vs medical practitioner vs psychologist vs media
What was the Lalonde report?
Proposed the concept of the health field
Identified two main health principles:
- health care system
- prevention of health problems and promotion of good health
What are some benefits of modifying health behaviours?
Réduction in deaths due to lifestyle diseases
Increased longevity
Longer disease free period (quality of life)
Reduced overall health care costs
What are health behaviours?
Behaviours employed by people to enhance or maintain their health
Become health habits
Define health habits
Health behaviour that is well established and is preformed automatically
If reinforced early, becomes resistant to change
What are some influential factors of health behaviours?
Socio-economic factors Age Gender Values Personal control Social influence Personal goals Perceived symptoms Access to health-care Location Cognitive factors
What strongly affects health habits?
Socialization: parents as role models
Teachable moment: educational opportunity
Closing the widow of vulnerability: adolescence
What are some benefits of identifying risks?
May eliminate or prevent poor health habits
Efficient and effective use of health dollars
Help identify risk factors in patient population
What are some problems with identifying at risk people?
Hypervigalence - over sensitive to stressors
May become defensive and disregard risk factors
What are some ethical issues that must be considered when identifying people at risk?
Do you identify at-risk people of risk is low
Identification may initiate symptoms
There might not be a clear intervention
Interpersonal issues may arise
What is the main goals in health habits in elderly and what factors must be considered?
Improve quality of life Factors: Exercise Participation in social activities Monitor alcohol consumption Controlled diet Vaccination
What are some other factors to consider when looking at health behaviours?
Gender and ethnic differences can influence vulnerability to particular health risks: Alcohol consumption Smoking Drug use Exercise
How can we change health behaviours?
Educational appeals: credible, colourful, concise
Fear appeals: use feSr to change behaviour, may be counter productive, coupled approach
Message framing: messages that stress benefits
- loss framed works best for high risk
- gain framed works best for low risk
What is health behaviour change and what are some models of health behaviour change?
Changing beliefs instead of attitudes
Social cognition model: expectancy-value theory, engage in behaviours that will be successful and they value
Health belief model: perception of threat, perceived threat reduction
Planned behaviour model: health behaviour is a result of a behavioural intention
Transfheoretical model: includes stage of change, has treatment goals
What is the theory of planned behaviour?
Direct result of behavioural intention
Three components:
- attitude towards specific action: likeness and evaluation
- subjective norms: what do other think? Motivation to comply?
- perceived behavioural control: capable of preforming the behaviour, achieve intended effect
Describe the transtheoretical model?
Also referred to as the stages of change model
What are the stages of the transtheoretical model?
Precontemplation: no intention of changing behaviour
Contemplation: aware of the problem but have not made a commitment
Preparation: intention is there but no action, minor modifications may have been initiated
Action: modify behaviour, commitment made
Maintenance: prevent relapse, consolidate gains
What is cognitive behavioural therapy?
Patient targets behaviour with individual changes
Modification of internal monologue
Behaviour change shifts from therapist-patient to pt alone
Factors include:
- self-observation/monitoring
- classic conditioning
- opérant conditioning: linked to positive reinforcer
What factors are included in cognitive behavioural approaches?
Modelling: emulate and reinforce behaviour
Stimulus control: removed associated triggers
Self control: use positive reinforcement positive/negative reward
What are preventable injuries?
One of the major preventable deaths
Include:
Home and workplace injuries
Motorcycle and automobile accidents
What are some cancer related health behaviours?
Breast cancer screening - self exam - clinical breast exam - mammogram Prostate cancer screening Colorectal cancer screening Sun tanning
What is sun tanning become a problem?
Increased uv radiation
Ineffective use of sunscreen
Changing health behaviours adolescents
How does exercise effect health behaviour?
Aids with mental and physical health: can help just as much as medicine Includes aerobics (biking, swimming) not isokinetic (weightlifting)
How much exercise do we require a week?
150 minutes per week
Improvement of psychological factors
What are the determinants of regular exercise?
Gender Age Race Support group Self motivation Settin
Why do people resist modifying diet?
Choice is not self motivated
Health vs image
Restrictive, expensive, laborious plans
Related to stess
How are family and community interventions used to modify diet?
As a kid, you are what your parents made
Don’t cook much until your older
Might not always be nutritious food
Learn that lifestyle and becomes basis of diet
Must modify what is being consumed as a family
Define obesity
Excessive accumulation total body fat
Women > 27%
Men > 22%
What are health compromising behaviours?
Risk or problem behaviours
What are common health compromising behaviour (HCB) characteristics?
Window of vulnerability in adolescence Self presentation Provides some pleasure Gradual development Common predictive factors Similar profile of substance abuser Socio-economic drivers
Define substance dependence
When an inidividam persists in use of alcohol or other drugs despite problems related to use of the substance, substance dependence may be diagnosed
Compulsive and repetitive use may result in tolerance to the effect of the drug and withdrawal symptoms when use is reduced or stopped
Now used term substance use disorders
Define substance use disorders according to DSM-V
As mild, moderate, or severe to indicate the level of severity, which is determined by the number of diagnostic criteria met by an individual
The recurrent use of alcohol and/or drugs causes clinically and functionally significant impairment, such as health problems, disability, and failure to meet major responsibilities at work, school, and home
What is a diagnosis of substance use disorder based on?
Evidence of impaired control, social impairment, risky use, and pharmacological
What does APA define substance abuse as?
User has repeatedly self administered an agent resulting in tolerance, withdrawal, and compulsive behaviour
Can include physical dependence, tolerance, addiction, withdrawal
Describe harm reduction
An approach that focuses on the risks and consequences of substance use rather than on the drug use itself
Sets more realistic goals
Implemented through community based programs: methadone clinics, needle exchange program
Describe the insite program
Started in 2003 in Vancouver
Canadas first safe-injection site
Offers disposable injection kit, sterile tools, medical support
What were the benefits of the insite program?
Reduce rates of transfer of infection disease
Lowers long-term costs of the healthcare system
Improve access health care services, including primary care and addiction treatment
Brings stability to the community, safer environment
What are illicit drugs and what are the four main classes?
Those that are illegal Classes: Opiates Cocain Cannabis/THC Amphetamine-type stimulants
What are some consequences of illicit drug use?
Physical issues: physiological damage, infectious disease
Mental health issues: anxiety, rebound depression
Social issues: misjudgment, risky sexual behaviours
Describe the effects of alcoholism
Responsible for more than 8000 deaths/year
Linked to high bp, liver damage, CVD, fetal-alcohol syndrome
Define alcoholic
Physical addicted to alcohol
Display both withdrawal and tolerance, loss of control
Define problem drinker
Has social, psychosocial, and medical problems resulting from alcohol
What are some factors that influence the incidence of alcohol abuse?
Genetic factors Men vs women Socio-economic status Response to stress Social cues Cultural cues
Describe alcohol abuse in university students
Unhealthy drinking patterns are prevalent in this population
Significant growth seen in women subgroup
Linked to specific environmental situations (happy hour, low price promotion, special promotion at beer company, conver charge for unlimited drinks)
What factors influence the treatment of alcohol abuse?
Alcoholics age, rates improve (maturing)
Socio-economic status
Access to care and social support
What are some commonly employed treatments of alcohol abuse?
Alcoholics Anonymous
Cognitive behavioural therapy
Detoxification
What are some other factors to consider in alcohol abuse treatment?
Relapse
Preventative approaches (beundrunk: encourages young adults to follow some guidelines about how often and much they drink on any one occasion)
Can alcohol be healthy
Can alcohol be healthy?
HDL vs LDL - LDL=bad cholesterol
Polyphenols: non alcoholic component and moderately decreases change of disease
Immune system
What are the effects of cigarette smoking?
Single greatest cause of preventable death
Smoking accounts for 30% of all cancer deaths
Associated with 46000 deaths in 2010
3 planes of people every day
Smokers show overall lower health
Second hand smoke can cause serious health problems
My have synergistic effects
What risks does smoking increase?
CVD
Lung cancer and other cancers
Chronic bronchitis
Emphysema
What are some synergistic effects of smoking?
Smoking and cholesterol: CVD
Smoking and stress
Smoking and cancer (I.e breast)
Smoking and depression: cancer
What are some factors that influence why individuals smoke?
Genetically linked (dopamine function) Social drivers (peer/family) Body image Self image Mood state
What is the mechanisms of nicotine?
In CNS nAChR are found on presynapgic nerve terminals of: dopamine neurons, acetylcholine neutrons, glutamine neurons
Increases dopamine levels in limbo c system
Attaches to a4B2 nACh receptor
What are the two strategies for stoping smoking?
Smoking prevention (long term benefit) Smoking cessation (short term benefits)
What are some treatment strategies for smoking?
Changing social views (media)
Nicotine replacement therapies (NRTs)
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
Treat comorbid issues
What is smoking prevention?
Try to stop individuals before they start
Can be clinically effective and cost effective
Evans social influence intervention
Life skills training approach
Community based/social drivers: taxes, packaging, by laws
What is Evans social influence intervention?
Individuals model smokers, so introduce modelling if high status non smokers
Behavioural inoculation: slow and steady messaging
What is smoking cessation?
Therapy Substitute cigarettes with other nicotine vehicles (nicotine replacement therapies) - transdermal patch - nicotine gum - nicotine nasal spray - nicotine inhalers - E-cigarettes Cognitive behavioural therapy or medication are also acceptable options
What did pharmacothérapies introduce for smoking cessation?
Buproprion (Wellbutrin, zybran): antidepression drug used to reduce cravings and withdrawal
Varenicline (Champix): helps people quit smoking by blocking pleasurable affects of smoking
What are the most effective NRTs?
Varenicline is most effective but all other are equally effective
What may earring disorders be linked to?
Unrealistic cultural standards
Overcompensation of weight loss
Over working out
When do eating disorders start and want are some tools to facilitate weight loss?
Typically starts during adolescence
Diet pills, restricted diet, use of laxatives, cigarette smoking, and self induced vomiting
Describe anorexia nervousa
Obsessive disorder amounting to self starvation
Weight loss drops below sub-optimal level
Risks factors include genetic link, hyperactive HPA axis, and social cues
What are some physical symptoms of anorexia nervousa?
High bp
Heart rate reactive to stress
High urinary levels of cortisol
Cognitive issues: depression, anxiety, low self esteem
Describe bulimia
Characterized by alternating cycle of binge eating and purging
Behaviours include: vomiting, use of laxatives, extreme dieting, fasting, drug and alcohol abuse
What are some characteristics of bulimia?
Typically normal weight or overweight
Binge vs purge phase
Internal vs cognitive cues
Linked to stress
What are some treatments for bulimia and what are some barriers to it?
Combo therapy (pharma + CBT) Barriers include self-realization
Define cognitive and internal cues
Cognitive: what you think about in response to an event
Define stress
A negative emotional experience accompanied by predictable biochemical, physiological, cognitive, and behavioural changes that are directed either toward altering the stressful event or accommodating to its effects
Initiated or aggravated by exposure to a stessor
Define a stessor
An event, situation, experience, or trigger that causes stress
Can include noise, overcrowding, large population, bad relationships, work-related activities, environmental factors
What are he direct physiological effects of stress?
Elevated lipids
Elevated bp
Decreased immunity
Increased hormonal activity
What are the health habit effects of stress?
Increases smoking/alcohol use
Decreased nutrition
Decreased sleep
Increased drug use
What are the health behaviour effects of stress?
Decreased compliance
Increased delay in seeking care
Obscured symptom profile
Decreased likelihood of seeking case
What is the person-environment fit?
Perception of stress is determined by an individual’s appraisal of resources
Assessment of personal resources dictates degree of stress
What are some theories and models of stress?
Fight or flight: acute stress response
General adaptation syndrome
Tend and befriend
How did the general adaptation syndrome come about?
Selye exposed rats to various stressors
Found all stressors produced the same physiological response
Found that chronic stress can lead to wear and tear
What do stressors lead to according to the general adaptation syndrome?
Enlarged adrenal cortex
Shrinking of thymus and lymph glands
Ulceration of the stomach and duodenum
What are the three phases of the general adaptation syndrome?
Alarm: mobilize to meet the threat (resistance is low, similar to flight and flight)
Resistance: cope through confrontation (resistance is high and balance is maintained until resistance is depleated)
Exhaustion: deplete physical resources (resistance now drops below normal)
What are some limitations of the GAS?
Limited role of psychological factors
Responses to stressors are uniform
Stress is only evident in the presence of a stressor
What is the tend and befriend model?
Introduced social aspect to stress
More prevalent in female
Seeking physical contact during stress
Increased levels of oxytocin
What is the psychological appraisal of stress?
Degree of stress is determined by psychological appraisal
What does the primary appraisal of stress determine?
Determines the meaning
Is the event positive, neutral, or negative in its implications?
If négative, to what extent is it presently harmful or threatening for the future and potentially challenging?
What is the secondary appraisal of stess?
Determine coping abilities and resources available
Are coping abilities and resources sufficient to overcome the harm, threat, or challenge posed by the event?
How does stress run?
Potential stressor causes primary and secondary appraisal which leads to stress
What is the physiology of stress?
Stress causes short and long term changes to health
What are the two physiological systems effects by stress?
Sympathetic-adrenomedullary (SAM) system
Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocorticol (HPA) axis
How does the SAM system function?
Harmful events are labelled by the cerebral cortex
Info is transmitted to the hypothalamus
Initiated earliest response to stress: sympathetic nervous system arousal (fight or flight)
Stimulates the medulla of the adrenal glands
Secretion of epinephrine and norepinephrine
Leads to sympathetic arousal: bp, hr, sweating
How does the HPA acid work?
Activation of the hypothalamus releases corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF)
Stimulates pituitary gland to secrete adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)
Stimulates adrenal cortex to release cortisol
Chronic activation of HPA acid alters cortisol levels
What does cortisol do?
Conserve stores of carbs, reduces inflammation
Inhibits release of CRF
Bring body back to steady-state
What is the problem with long term stress?
System was not designed for long term exposure of stress (allostérie load)
Excessive discharge of cortisol, épi, NE can suppress immune system, increased bp and hr, arehythmias, neurochemical imbalance (mood disorders), lipids and fatty acids, sleep issues
What makes events stessful?
Degree of stress is dependent on assessment
Negative events are more likely to cause stress
Uncontrollable or unpredictable events
Ambiguous events
Level of individual tasks (overloaded)
Central life vs peripheral stressors
Can you adapt to stress psychological?
Most can adapt to moderate stress
Difficult to adapt to highly stressful events
Does not cancel out any potential physiological changes
Can you adapt to stress physiologically?
Habituation and chronic strain exist
Can accumulate across multiple organ systems
Long term stressors can compromise immune function
Describe anticipated stressors
Can be just as stressful
Where are after-effects of stress seen?
Sent with PTSD
- in response to dramatic stressor
- can persist for years
- symptoms include cognitive deficits, sleep, disturbances, feelings of guilt, and violence
Describe stressful life events
Carry varying levels of stress
Events cause changes in ones life
More changes result in higher stress
Higher stressful life events can result in illness
Inventory of stressful events seen in social readjustment rating scale
Define coping
The thoughts and behaviours used to manage the internal and external demands of situations that are appraised as stressful
Dynamic process which persists over time
Highly affected by personality
What is coping shaped by?
Genetic and environmental factors
What is the negative affectivité in terms of coping?
Neuroticism
Linked with poorer health
Can show symptoms, distress even when they are not sick
Lower level of coping skills
What is the pessimistic explanatory style of coping?
Associated with individuals with negative affectivity
Lower level of coping skills
What is perfectionism in terms of coping?
Constant pursuit of ideal standards
Unrealistic goals can lead to stress
Lower level of coping skills
What are some ways to cope?
Dispositions optimism Self compassion Gratitude Psychological control Self esteem
Describe dispositional optimism
Positive outlook on life
Better mental and physical health
Promotes more active and persistant coping efforts
More positive appraisal of stressors
Describe self compassion
Treating one self with kindness, connected with humanity, being aware of distress
Helps diffusé negative self-evaluation/criticism
More robust than self esteem
Benefits with both physical/mental stress and age related stress
Describe gratitude
Noticing the positives of appreciating life
Associated with a range of positive coping styles
Benefit towards improved sleep quality and duration
Improvement in sleep related cognitive outcomes
Describe psychosocial control
Individual feels they have control over environment, behaviour, and desired outcomes
Perceived control of stressful events linked to better health
Perceived control linked to better outcomes of coping strategies
Describe self esteem
High self esteem may moderate stress illness
More protective in low levels of stress
Interventions bolster self esteem, self worth
Ego-strength: dependability, trust, lack of implusivity have health benefits
Higher self confidence lowers effects of stress
What are the two coping styles?
Avoidant vs approach
Problem focused vs emotion focused
What is avoidant (minimizing) vs approach (confrontative) coping style?
Avoided deals well with short term stress not long term
Confronted deals well with long term stress
Approach is considered the more beneficial style
What is problem focused vs emotion focused coping style?
Problem focused takes a constructive approach
Emotion focused tries to regulate emotions to stress
Typically people use a combination of both
What are some external factors influencing coping?
Socio-economic status is a strong external driver
Multiple stressors can influence coping capacity
What is psychological resilience?
Ability to bounce back fin emotional experiences/stress
Ability to experience positive emotion in the midst of negative stress
Contributing factors include external resources, SES, allosteric load
What are some types of coping interventions?
Can cupplement coping skills Mindful-based dress reduction (MBSR) Disclosure and coping Stress management Interactive stress-management program
Describe MBSR
Use systematic training in meditation
Focus on stressor at hand and remove other factors
MSBR improved quality of life and sleep and lowers stress
Describe disclosure and coping
Dialogue around emotional and psychological factors
Both verbal and written dialogue was beneficial
Describe stress management
Program based learning, workshops, groups
Three phases include:
- identify stressors
- acquire/practice coping skills for stress
- practice coping skills in real world examples
Describe interactive stress management program
Used quite often in university/college setting
