Stress and Coping Flashcards
What are the effects of short/medium term stress?
– immune system upregulated
– prepare to repair damage and resist infection: cell mediated
immunity e.g. lymphocytes
– prepare to fight off pathogens: antibodies, B-cells
What are the effects of long term stress?
depressed immune function, inflammation: cortisol
IT IS DAMAGING
Draw the transactional model of stress
See notes Demands Resources Appraisal Stress response
Describe the process of appraisal
Primary Appraisal
– Is this event a threat? How bad could it be?
(benign, challenging, threatening)
Secondary Appraisal
– Do I have the resources or skills to cope?
Reappraisal
– Reconsider the situation once have tried to cope with it (may
decide it’s more or less stressful than thought)
What factors cause stress in individuals?
Features of the stressor – Novelty – Unpredictability / ambiguity – How important (salience) – Control Individual differences – How stressed already (overload) – Personality characteristics e.g. optimism hardiness – Resources social support, time, money, health, education etc – Coping strategies
Name the 4 ways Cox et al identified how stress impacts health
- Physiological responses causes physical damage, especially when intense and/or prolonged
- Effects on the immune system can increase vulnerability to infection
- Coping efforts: increase in unhealthy behaviour
- Negative impact on mental health (e.g. anxiety, depression) affecting coping and illness behaviour
Give examples of stress management
Cognitive strategies - e.g. cognitive restructuring, hypothesis testing
Behavioural strategies – skills training e.g. assertiveness, time-management
Emotional strategies – counselling, emotional disclosure, social support
Physical strategies – relaxation training, biofeedback, exercise
Non-cognitive strategies – drugs
What is regarded as stress promoting behaviour?
Smoking
Alcohol
Unhealthy eating
Reduced exercise
What is coping?
- Coping is about finding ways to manage events/experiences that are appraised as threats or demands, and which tax or exceed a person’s available resources
- Strategies to reduce or deal with the threat or, increase resources
Name life events that patients have to cope with
Family - bereavement, divorce, pregnancy
Workplace - dismissal, retirement, change in responsibility
Personal - imprisonment, xmas
Financial - mortgage, financial state
Name illness related events that patients have to cope with
Diagnosis
Physical impact
Treatment
Hospitalisation
How can you aid coping?
Increase/mobilise social support
Increase personal control
Prepare patients for stressful events (reduce ambiguity)
What is problem focused coping?
CHANGE THE PROBLEM OR RESOURCES
- Reduce demands of a stressful situation e.g. find out how to cope with feelings of claustrophobia in mask for radiotherapy
- Expand resources to deal with it e.g. if mobility a problem, focus on physiotherapy exercises, but a motorised wheelchair etc.
What is emotion focused coping?
CHANGE THE EMOTION
Behavioural approaches; do something e.g. talking to friends, alcohol, finding a distraction
Cognitive approaches: change how you think about the situation, e.g. denial, focus on positive aspect of problem – have to give up job you don’t like, chance to do something different
What are 5 stress managing techniques?
–Cognitivestrategies
•e.g.cognitiverestructuring,hypothesistesting
– Behaviouralstrategies
• Skillstraining
–Emotionalstrategies
• Counselling,emotionaldisclosure,socialsupport
–Physicalstrategies
• Relaxationtraining,biofeedback,exercise
– Non‐cognitivestrategies
• Medication
