Module 11 - Health Psychology Stress Flashcards
Health Psychology
study of
thoughts, beliefs & habitual behaviours
that influence the maintenance or undermines bodily health
Health compromising behaviours:
Self managed behaviours that have a cumulative impact on a person’s longevity & quality of life
Biggest challenge for health-compromising behaviours:
^ understand why people engage in behaviours that they know have negative health impacts
^ design meaningful ways to intervene
Broad reason for engaging in health compromising behaviours even though they know potential harms (2)
^ Temporal Discounting
^ Drive Mismatch
Temporal Discounting
(2 Broad Reasons for Health-Compromising Behaviours)
Benefit now vs consequences later
Drive Mismatch
(2 Broad Reasons for Health-Compromising Behaviours)
Ancestrally rare things are now common (sugar, sedentary lifestyle)
Individual differences that affect health compromising behaviours (3)
^ Satiety
^ Attention
^ Emotion-Regulation
Satiety:
(3 Individual Differences -> Health-Compromising Behaviours)
How long it takes to cease to feel hunger when eating
Attention:
(3 Individual Differences -> Health-Compromising Behaviours)
Differential ability to ignore unwanted messaging (advertisement)
Emotion Regulation
(3 Individual Differences -> Health-Compromising Behaviours)
Differential tendency to indulge in self-soothing
2 major approaches to health-compromising Behaviours for designing interventions:
^ The protection - Motivation Theory
^ The theory of Planned Behaviour
5 elements of Protection motivation Theory
^ Perceived Susceptibility
^ Perceived Severity
^ Benefits & Barriers
^ Cues to Action
^ Self Efficacy
Perceived Susceptibility
(Protection Motivation Theory)
Does it affect people like me?
Perceived Severity
(Protection Motivation Theory)
How bad would it be if I got it?
Benefits & Barriers
(Protection Motivation Theory)
What will I gain / lose?
Cues to Action
(Protection Motivation Theory)
What tells me I should or shouldn’t?
Self Efficacy
(Protection Motivation Theory)
Will I succeed if I try to change?
3 Components -> Behaviour Intention -> behaviour
(Theory of Planned Behaviour)
^ Personal Attitudes
^ Subjective Norms
^ Self Efficacy
Personal Attitudes
(Theory of Planned Behaviour)
Individual beliefs that the behaviour will lead to certain outcomes
Eg.
^ Smoking is relaxing
^ Smoking costs a lot
^ Smoking is bad for my health
Subjective Norms
(Theory of Planned Behaviour)
Individual beliefs about groups or individual’s views on whether they should do the behaviour
Eg.
^ My colleagues smoke
^ My girlfriend doesn’t want me to smoke
Self-Efficacy
(Theory of Planned Behaviour)
Individual belief of control of behaviour
^ I know I can stop smoking with help
^ I can rely on my GF to help me
Health Promotion:
Enables people to increase control over the determinants of health -> improves their health
4 major categories of barriers to health promotion:
^ 1. Individual
^ 2. Family
^ 3. Health Systems
^ 4. Community, cultural & Ethnic
Individual barriers (3)
(4 categories of barriers to health promotion)
^ future discounting
^ personality
^ gender roles
Family barriers (3)
(4 categories of barriers to health promotion)
^ parental modelling
^ genetic vulnerability
^ care needs
Health Systems barriers (3)
(4 categories of barriers to health promotion)
^ cost
^ availability
^ public outreach & awareness
Community, Cultural & Ethnic (2)
(4 categories of barriers to health promotion)
^ vulnerable minorities
^ isolation
Transtheoretical model of change process (5):
^ 1. Precontemplation - not ready
^ 2. Contemplation - getting ready
^ 3. Preparation - ready, setting systems in place
^ 4. Action
^ 5. Maintenance
Stress:
Sensation <- nervous system <- appraisal of challenge
Stress evokes negative feelings of:
^ anxiety
^ anger
^ frustration
^ guilt
Appraisal of Challenge’ depends on
^ individual’s context & personal abilities
^ somethings may be exciting to some, but stressful with others
Sympathetic Autonomic Nervous System:
Nervous system that is activated in response to stress
What are the 2 nervous systems in Autonomic Nervous System?
^ Sympathetic System
^ Parasympathetic System
Sympathetic System response:
Fight or flight
From a perceived challenge
Sympathetic System - physiological responses (3):
^ Heart & blood pressure increase
^ Respiration accelerates, blood sugar released from liver
^ adrenalin, noradrenalin released from adrenal glands
^ Pupils Dilate
Parasympathetic System response:
Rest & digest
Parasympathetic System - physiological responses (4):
^ Heartbeat slows
^ Blood pressure reduces
^ respiration slows
^ body experiences visceral (physiological) responses typical of periods of rest & relaxation
Opponent processes’ regarding Sympathetic & Parasympathetic of Autonomic Nervous System:
^ Sympathetic suppresses Parasympathetic systems when it is activated
What are the affects when sympathetic system suppresses the parasympathetic system (4)?
Suppression of crucial bodily maintenance work:
^ healing
^ digesting nutrients
^ immunity to pathogens
^ preparation for future responses
The longer your stress responses last ->
The more your body breaks down
Evolutionary Mismatch:
Regarding stress
^ mismatch of conditions the stress response evolved in VS novel conditions of modern life
Eg.
Historically: challenges were spontaneous and temporary demanding immediate body responses
VS
Modern life: main challenges are long-anticipation or accumulated daily
Short-term effects
of stress on the body (4):
^ feeling nervous
^ Increased heart rate
^ Constipation & diarrhoea
^ Sensitive Skin
Long-term effects
of stress on the body (4)
^ Mental health problems
^ Fertility Issues
^ Risk of Type 2 Diabetes
^ Severe Heart problems
Diseases exasperated by long-term stress (3)
^ Heart Disease - raises vascular strain, reduces recovery factors
^ Metabolic Disease - contributes to type 2 diabetes
^ Cancer - raises bowel dysfunction, impairs immune responses
Coping:
Psychological and social processes
Used to reduce, redirect, manage, avoid
stress
Coping mechanisms:
Specific actions
Used to mitigate stress
Coping strategies:
Planned combination of coping mechanisms
Used to mitigate stress
2 types of coping strategies
^ Adaptive strategies
^ Maladaptive strategies
Adaptive strategies (3):
Strategies that are
^ effective
^ sustainable
^ harmless
Maladaptive strategies (2):
Strategies that have
^ poor trade-offs
^ diminishing returns
Emotion-focused coping strategies - Aim:
reduce/avoid
Emotions from stress
Emotion-focused coping strategies - Eg (5)
^ Indulgence or Consumption
^ Giving Up & Blaming
^ Aggressive ‘Lashing Out’
^ Distraction
^ Reappraisal or Reframing
Indulgence or Consumption Strategy
(Emotion-focused Strategies)
Boozing, smoking, stress-eating or other hedonistic behaviours that discount future for present
Giving Up & Blaming Strategy
(Emotion-focused Strategies)
Lower expectations, learned helplessness
Aggressive ‘Lashing Out’ Strategy
(Emotion-focused Strategies)
Venting stress through catharsis (release)
Distraction Strategy
(Emotion-focused Strategies)
Listen to music, engage in leisure activities
Reappraisal or Reframing Strategy
(Emotion-focused Strategies)
Positive self-talk, meditation, humour
Problem-focused Coping Strategies - Aim:
To address the underlying challenges
that cause stress
Problem-focused coping strategies - Eg (4)
^ Increased Planning
^ Routine Self-Care
^ Asking for Help
^ Establish Boundaries
Increased Planning
(Problem-focused coping strategies)
^ Breaking down existing stress into manageable parts
^ Trying to better forecast sources of future sources of stress
Routine Self-Care
(Problem-focused coping strategies)
Prioritise rest, exercise, healthy food
Asking for Help
(Problem-focused coping strategies)
Swallow pride to ask for help for the problem
Establish Boundaries
(Problem-focused coping strategies)
Saying no to social activities to minimise new stressors
Most adaptive strategies include___
^ Emotion-focused + Problem-focused strategies
Eg
Emotion-focused Strategies:
exercise, take a bath, pep talk, meditation
Problem-Focused Strategies:
Work on managing time, ask for support, boundaries, creating to-do lists
While problem-focused coping strategies tend to be more adaptive compared to emotion-focused strategies, you should ___
^ Refrain from starting with problem-focused strategies unless invited as clients can be put off by being told what to do
^ Always start with emotion-focused strategies with clients
Individual factors to consider before deciding appropriate emotion-focused and problem-focused coping strategies (3):
^ Optimism (positive outlook)
^ Conscientiousness (wanting to do well, responsible)
^ Neuroticism (emotional stability)
Optimism
(Individual factors for coping strategies)
^ Optimistic people expect good outcomes -> easier to commit to long-term strategies
^ related to agreeableness
Conscientiousness
(Individual factors for coping strategies)
^ Conscientious people -> easier time planning for future & maintain new habits
Neuroticism
(Individual factors for coping strategies)
^ higher neuroticism -> more volatile responses to stress, require greater care for Emotion-coping
