Module 43 - Stress and Health Flashcards
How often do we experience stress?
- 3 out of 4 say sometimes or frequently
- short term (acute) stress is adaptive
- long term (chronic) stresses not (leads to physical and mental health problems)
Behavioural Medicine
Interdisciplinary field of medicine that integrates behavioural and medical knowledge. Examines behaviour that improve or harm halt
Health Psychology
Relatively new-sub-field of psychology that studies the effects of emotion, personality and behaviour on health (physical) well-being (subjective)
Stress
- complex concept
- used as a cause of something
- used to mean the result of something
- stress also means strain
Hans Selye (1954)
- used term stress in psychological context
- he misused the term stress
- he said stress is the effect not cause
Stress
Non-specific response of the body to any demand
Today stress is defined as:
- the process by which we perceive and respond to certain events that we appraise as threatening or challenging (stressors)
- stress reaction (response) is the bodily response to a stressor
Common Stressors
- Catastrophic Events - sudden, unpredictable, large-scale event
- Significant Life Changes - death of love one, loss of job, marriage/divorce
- Daily Hassles - rush hour traffic, aggravating room mate, long lines in store
Walter B. Cannon (Physiological Stress Responses)
- did not use term stress
- already described the fight/flight response when against challenging event
- very fast system
- release of no epinephrine from adrenal medulla
Haris Selye
- hypothalamic; pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis becomes activated leading to release of glucocorticoids
- released from the adrenal cortex (out layer)
- increase in blood sugar, alertness, memory in brain and decrease in immune system
- slower system than fight/flight
- necessary for coping with stress
General Adaption Syndrom (3 phases of stress)
- Alarm Reaction
- Stage of Resistance
- Stage of Exhaustion
- stress is universal despite the exact nature of the stressor
- stress decreases neurogenesis and shortened telomeres associated with prolonged stress
Coronary Heart Disease
- occlusion of coronary arteries that increases likelihood of heart attack
- many factors contributing; smoking, body weight, stress
- stress increases blood cholesterol and clotting of blood
Friedman and Ulmer
- showed links between heart disease and stress
- increase blood cholesterol and clotting
Friedman and Rosenman
- type A and type B study
- men as type a (uptight)
type b was opposite (laid back) - 9 years 69% were type a heart attacks, no extreme type b’s
Type A
- called “Coronary Prone Personality”
- anger identified as major contributor
- heart attacks more likely occur 24 hours after angry outburst
- other traits: depression (4x) and pessimism (2x)
Psychosomatic Illness
A physical illness of psychological origin
- links between brain, behaviour and immune system
Psycho neuro immunology (PNI)
- growing field which studies how brain systems affect physiological and endocrine responses that in turn influence the immune system
Ader and Cohen
- demonstrated that immune system could be conditioned
- first evidence brain regulates immunes
Stress and Cancer
- increased cancer rates in stressed people
Well Being and Stress
- stress is adaptive coping response to challenge
- prolonged stress can affect health and well being
