Stress Flashcards
Define stress
- A state of mental, emotional or other strain
- A great worry caused by a difficult situation
- to distress, put on difficulties
=stress occurs when the demands made upon an individual are greater than their ability to cope
What is the difference between distress and eustress
1) Distress, -ve stress
damaging and harmful, beyond ability to cope
2) Eustress, +ve stress
beneficial and motivating
What are some causes of stress
-acute/chronic
Called STRESSORS
- Acute - noise, hunger, fire, short-lived infection
- Chronic - physical health, work, home life, finance, family, friends
Work - health care, teaching and caring services have highest rates of stress (due to work pressures, lack of managerial support, work-place violence and bullying)
What are some causes of stress
-internal/external
- Internal stressors
a. physical - inflammation and infection
b. psychological - personal expectations, attitudes, beliefs, worries - External stressors
a. environmental factors (eg overcrowding)
b. work
c. social and cultural pressures
What are the human responses to stress?
- Flight/fight model
- General adaptive system
- Interaction model
What is flight/fight model?
=Stress is an automatic response to external (acute) stressors
- elicits a physiological response to increase activity rate
- this helps an individual escape or face the stressor
Stressor activates the hypothalamus
a) sympathetic system
- activates organs and smooth muscle
- signals adrenal medulla to release adrenalin and noradrenalin
b) adrenal-cortical system
hypothalamus secretes CRF which activates adrenal cortical system
-pituitary gland secretes adrenocorticotropic hormone
-this is carried to the adrenal cortex
-stimulates the release of STRESS HORMONES, these regulate glucose levels, glucose is carried to relevant organs and muscles
=combined effect on hormones and neural activity of sympathetic NS
How does stress affect
a) heart, lungs and circulation
b) skin
c) mouth
d) immune system
How does stress affect a) heart, lungs and circulation lungs take in more o2 increased blood flow muscles tense increased RBC from spleen to carry O2
b) skin
blood flow directed to muscle and heart tissue
c) mouth
becomes drier
d) immune system
WBCs are distributed to where injury may occur
What is the general adaptive system model?
- Alarm - when the threat or stressor is identified or released this is the body’s stress response
- Adaptive/resistance - the body engages defensive counter measures against stressors
- Exhaustion - the body begins to run out of defences and resources
criticism - the individual is passive, reaction is automatic?
What is the interaction model?
- Stress is an interaction between a person and their environment
- Concept of appraisal
- The impact is influences by coping methods and past experiences
What are the 5 signs of stress?
- Biochemical (increased endorphin levels, increased cortisol levels)
- Physiological (shallow breathing, raised bp, increased acid production)
- Behavioural (increase in absenteeism, smoking, alcohol, change to eating habits, disturbed sleep)
- Cognitive (negative thoughts, loss of concentraion, tension headaches)
- Emotional (tearful, mood swings, irritable, agressive, bored, apathetic, learned behaviour)
Describe the behavioural signs of stress
- Increase in
- absenteeism
- smoking
- alcohol - eating - weight gain or loss
a. general effects model - changes in food intake patterns
b. individual differences model - more likely in vulnerable people
c. stress eating paradox - no clear patterns to explain why some overeat and some under-eat - Sleep
a. insomnia
b. early waking and disturbed sleep at night
Describe the cognitive signs of stress
- Negative thoughts - increases change of depression and anxiety
- loss of concentration - leads to increase in accidents
acute stress - affects short term memory and learning difficulties - Tension headaches - onset is often after stressful episodes have finished
What is post-traumatic stress disorder? (PTSD)
a) experienced or witnessed event(s) involving actual or threatened death/serious injury or threat - to self or others
b) response involved intense fear, helplessness, horror
Symptoms
- persistent recollections/dreams
- persistent avoidance of associated stimuli and numbing of general responsiveness (insomnia, irritability, difficultly concentrating)
What could lead to PTSD?
- childhood physical/emotional/sexual abuse
- violent attacks
- natural catastrophes
- life threatening childbirth
- rape, war, combat experience
What links are there between stress and physical illness?
- Cancer - stress has a negative affect on immune response and tumour growth
- Heart disease - hypertension associated with stress (type A personality 2X more likely)
- ME/Chronic fatigue - possible stress is a cause as there is no organic cause found
- Infertility/recurrent miscarriage
- IBS - long term stress
