Psychosocial Coping Flashcards by Kol Giessel

what is stress?

Complex process that alters our psychological and physiological systems.
Actual or potential threat to homeostasis
May lead to physiological or psychological health issues
Part of life
Unique person-to-person

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Eustress =

good stress

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

what is appraisal related to stress?

Initial reaction to POTENTIAL stress.

-Interpretation of situation and determination if it is a stressor.

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

what is coping?

Managing stress. Coping can mitigate or reduce the cause of stress or emotion it causes.

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

what is adaptation?

Outcome of coping. When a person SUCCESSFULLY adjusts or adapts to stress.
If a person is unable to adapt, pathological manifestations may occur.

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

How does the body maintain homeostasis?

KEEPING balance of: Blood pressure
Glucose regulation
Temperature regulation
Acid-base balance
All vital processes

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

what is allostasis?

Process of RESTORING homeostasis in response to stress.
Allostatic response occurs through physiological mediators:
Baroreceptors in aortic arch
Secretion of insulin
Hypothalamus
Respiratory response
individualized

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

What is the allostatic load?

= allostasis is sustained and homeostasis is not achieved. aka sustained allostatic state
-Cumulative burden of adaptation to stress

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

what can a sustained allostatic state lead to?

disease

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

what happens if stress is repetitive in relation to allostatic load?

If stress stimuli are excessive and repetitive, recovery to the original homeostatic levels may be incomplete
-As a result, the body adapts to anticipate the stress and creates “new” baseline for homeostasis.

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

example of new baseline due to repetitive allostatis?

An allostatic response may be increase in glucose level from a stressor, persistent allostasis will cause the body to adapt and allow a higher glucose level.

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

2 divisions of autonomic nervous system?

sympathetic

parasympathetic

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

what does sympathetic nervous system do?

Secretion of neurohormone norepinephrine and epinephrine. This can be excitatory or inhibitory.

Stressor–>pupil dilation, tachycardic (excitatory) but also slow down GI motility (inhibitory).

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

what does parasympthathic nervous system do?

Secretion of acetylcholine.
Following stress event, the PNS activates to return back to homeostasis.
Example: Pupil constriction, reduce HR,…

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

systems involved in ANS?

Cardiovascular
Respiratory
GI
Renal
Endocrine

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Neurotransmitters secreted by the sympathetic nervous system?

Norepinephrine and epinephrine

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Excitatory actions?

Pupil dilation, increased heart rate, bronchial dilation, increased glucose

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Inhibitory actions?

Decrease digestive function, inhibit insulin secretion, prevent urination

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Major neurotransmitter for the parasympathetic nervous system?

Acetylcholine

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

most common glucocorticoid?

cortisol

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

where does cortisol come from

Cortisol is a stress hormone that is from the adrenal glands. These are located on top of your kidneys.

What does cortisol impact? (2 physiological effects)

1.metabolism - glucose
2.immune system
acute response- cortisol is protective
chronic stress- cortisol is damaging

when are glucocorticoids released?

When the body is under stress glucocorticoids are released.
Stimulation of glucocorticoids comes after the initial SNS response.

which steroid prepares body for fight or flight?

cortisol

What does prolonged stress lead to?

Anxiety, depression, and other alterations in health

fight or flight: neuro repsonse:

pupils dilate

fight or flight response: cardiac

tachy, HTN, angina, dysrhythmia

fight or flight response: resp:

increase RR, hyperventilate

fight or flight response: GI:

loss of appetite, n/v, increase HCl acid prdxn

fight or flight response: skin:

diaphoresis, contraction of arrector pili muscles

fight or flight response: musculoskeletal

increased muscle tension in large muscles, tremor/shakiness in smaller

2 major types of coping?

problem focused | emotion focused

what are coping mechanisms?

Coping mechanisms are an individual’s level of resistance, resilience, and vulnerability. *Not all coping mechanisms are positive.

what is resistance?

adaptability to adversity

what is resilience?

ability to move forward despite adversity

what is vulnerability?

increase in resiliency and resistance from experiencing and evolving from the past.

Newborn infant coping

Dependent on care of others to survive. Stressors are typically quickly resolved Good stress – nurturing environment Bad stress – sensory stimuli from neonatal unit

Toddler/preschooler coping

Still dependent on adults. Social and familial interactions and behavior impact coping. Stressful issues are perceived more intensely at this age in comparison to adults.

School age coping

- Social environment begins to expand. - Coping is influenced by a balance of home support and an internal sense of self-worth. - Younger school aged children may have a hard time distinguishing reality from imaginative thinking. - Adolescent children are capable of rationalization and are able to utilize more coping mechanisms, but also may use negative coping skills.

Adult-Older Adult | coping

-In adulthood the ability to cope with stress is partly dependent upon how coping developed through the formative years. -Life changes and physiological changes compound and add to stress. *Coping for this age includes self-talk, cognitive reframing, … This age group may begin to display negative coping skills….

Where is the line drawn for when a legal substance becomes a maladaptive coping pattern?

The line is drawn when cognitive status is altered and the use of the substance is consistent to get that alteration in cognitive function.

Defense mechanisms:

denial, projection, rationalization, suppression, repression

Refusing to believe or accept something =

denial

Attributing one’s own thoughts onto another=

projection

Concealing the motive for behavior by giving a socially acceptable reason for the action=

rationalization

Consciously dismissing something from the mind and thoughts =

suppression

Immersing something in the subconscious or unconscious level of thought =

repression

Diagnostic tests for stress

-labs (epi, norepi, cortisol), although cannot be exclusively related to stress Measurement Tools Everyday Hassles Scale/Coping self-efficacy scale

interventions for stress

``` Visualization Imagery Affirmations Mediation Biofeedback Therapeutic Touch Massage Yoga Deep Breathing* - taught easily Journaling ```

Stress management for nurses

Establish a regular program of exercise Eliminate or restrict mood-altering substances Learn to accept failure and turn it into a constructive experience Difficult to do! Develop assertiveness to have more personal control Develop and bolster support systems Work to believe that most people do the best they can Can also be difficult