Stress Flashcards
what are the stages of General Adaption Syndrome?
- alarm
- mobilisation to fend off threat/stressor - resistance
- continued fight against stressor - exhaustion
- depletion of resources
- ability to resist may collapse
what is the 2 step physiological response in stress?
- sympathetic activation
- hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) activation
what is involved in sympathetic activation response step?
- under stress: sympathetic nervous system stimulated
- catecholamines produced (adrenalin and noradrenalin)
- quick response system (within seconds)
what is involved in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) activation response step?
- increased levels of corticosteroid (glucocorticoids e.g. cortisol)
- raised levels of brain opioids beta endorphin and enkephalin
- slower response system (minutes to hours)
where in the brain is long-term stress processed?
cortex
what happens during long-term stress response?
- retention of sodium and water by kidneys
- inc. blood vol, BP
- P, F converted to glucose/broken down for energy
- inc. blood sugar
- dec. immune system
where in the brain is short-term stress response processed?
medulla
how is immune function impaired by the physiological response to stress?
- inc. catecholamine and corticosteroid release
- dec. immune cell activity (T and B cells) against antigens
- linked to development of infectious disease/cancer
how is immune function impaired by emotion?
- depression
- optimism
what is the definition of stress?
- the perceived discrepancy between demands pf the situation and the resources of the person that they appraise in a stressful situation
- feeling of lack of control
- unpredictability
what are the 4 routes in secondary appraisal (coping)?
- seeking information
- taking direct action
- doing nothing
- worrying
what do stressors affect in the physiological system?
- sympathetic nervous system
- endocrine system
- heart rate
- breathing
- muscles
- fight or flight response
- General Adaption Syndrome
what do stressors affect in the psychological aspect?
cognitive functioning (positive/negative):
- attention
- memory
emotion:
- fear
- excitement
- depression
- anger
what do stressors affect in the social aspect?
- social behaviour
- socio-cultural differences
fight or flight response
physiological reaction to emergencies - ‘adaptive response’:
- homeostasis threatened
- response to acute, short lived stress
- external threats elicit fight or flight response
- inc. physiological arousal
- enable fight or flight response
- BUT prolonged state of high arousal harmful to health
