STRESS AND HEALTH Flashcards
health psychology
subfield of psychology concerned with the ways that psychological factors influence the causes and treatment of physical illness and the maintenance of health
stressful events
major life changes
positive and negative events
chronic stressors
sources of stress that occur continuosly/ repeatedly
eg- strained relationships
controlling stress
Studies show perceives control over stressful events can be related to more effective coping
role of locus of control
physical reactions stress produced
flight or flight
cortisol - released in high stress, help metabolize glucose
GAS
general adaptation syndrome (GAS)
Alarm phase
resistance phase
exhaustion phase
alarm phase
: rapid mobilization of bodily resources to respond to the threat (fight or flight)
resistance phase
adaptation to arousal state, and coping with stressor
Reduction of unnessarcary thing (sex drive) so cope for longer
exhaustion phase
body’s resistance cllapes; leads to aging, infection, tumou growth, organ damage, even death
More prolonged the sharper the degree of exhaustion
stress effects on health
wear and tear on the body/ aging
DNA Is copied (shortened telomere)
cells stop copying when too short
chronic stress affects immunity
hormones go to the brain - wearing down the immune system, less able to fight invaders
related to low SES
stress affects heart health
atheroscelosis- narrowing of arteries
type A behaviour
hostility is one of the best predictors of heart disease
Psychological reactions
Physiological and Psychological stress response are intertwined
begins in the mind (is it stressful or not), primary, secondary appraisal, threat, challenge)
primary appraisal
interpretation of a stimulus as stressful or not
secondary appraisal
determination of whether the stressor is something rhat can be handled or not
threat
a stressor that you believe might not be overcome
negative appraisal
challenge
stressor you feel fairly confident you can control
positive appraisal
burnout form chronic stress
a state of physical, emotional and mental exhaustion created by long-term involvement in an emotionally demanding situation
Burnout is accomplished by lowered performance and motivation
causes of burnout
emotionally stressful jobs
gouging self-worth by success in one aspect alone
psychological factor influencing health
health relevant
- type a behaviour, optimism, hardiness
health behaviour
- exercising, good sleep
optimism
seeing the sunny side of a situation) is healthier than pessimism (expecting things to go wrong)
Seems to aid maintenance of psychological health in the face of physical problems
A person’s level of optimism or pessimism tends to be heritable
Optimism is one of the best psychological predictors of happiness
harniness
Hardiness: hardy people are stress-resistant
Personality characteristics of hardy people include
A sense of commitment
A belief in control
Acceptance of challenge (growth mindset)
Hardy individuals seem to be thick-skinned and able to take more stress or criticism that may hurt others, tend to handle stress better, and are overall healthier
health-promoting behaviour
self-regulation
gratification for longer term gains
healthy eating, safe sex, not smoking, healthy sleep pattern
self reultation
exercise of voluntary control over the self to brign it into line with preferred standards; willpower
stress management
the mind
the body
the situation
mind management
repressive coping
rational coping
reframing
repressive coping
avoiding situations o thoughts that are reminders of a stressor and maintaining an artificially positive viewpoint
rational coping
facing the stressor and working to overcome it
acceptance, exposure, understanding
reframing
finding a new or creative way to think about ta stressor that reduces a threat
Stress inoculation training (SIT): a reframing technique that helps people cope with stressful situations by developing policies as to think about situations
body management (5)
relaxation, meditation, biofeedback, aerobic exercise, sleep
situation management
changing life to reduce stress:
social support
Religious or spiritual practice
Use of humour
Avoiding procrastinaton
social support
the aid gained through interacting with others
relationship people = better health
the gender differnces in value of soical support
male- fight or fight
females- tend and befriend response
- oxytocin is released
religiosity and spirituality
Religiosity: affiliation with or engagement in the pracices of a particular religion
Spirtuality: having a belief in and engagement with some higher power, not necessarily linked to any particular religion
aka because of SOCIAL NETWORKS AND HEALTHY ADVICE FROM CHURCH PEOPLE
Homour
Humour can help in coping with stress
Can diffuse stressful events
Reduces time needed to calm down after stressor
Reduces sensitivity to pain and stress
Related to hardiness
procrastination
causes ill health and stress in the long run
delaying gratification- extrinsic motivation
body management
Relaxation
Meditation
Biofeedback
Aerobic exercise
Sleep
relaxation therapy
technique for reducing tension by consciously relaxing muscles of the body
Eg. progressive muscle relaxation
relaxation response
condition of reduced muscle tension, cortical activity, heart rate, breathing rate and blood pressure
regular relaxation
reduces symptoms of stress
E. tension, cortisol, BP
biofeedback
can eb used in the lab
control over functions, neouro feedback - breath and heartbeat
meditation
practice if intentional contemplation
Associated with religious traditions, but often practiced outside of religious contexts
Involves clearing the mind of thoughts, or having a single focus
Eg. concentrating on breathing or a mantra (word/sound)
Is restful and revitalizing offers many benefits:
Cognitive: eg. control attention
Emotional: eg. better emotional regulation
Physical: eg. lengthening the telomeres that age us when shortened
mindfulness
One of the fastest growing areas of psychological research
Transforms and deepens consciousness
Focus on the “here and now”
Used to treat
Mood, anxiety disorders, sleep problems, drug and behavioural addictions, ADHD, eating disorders and anger management
Increasingly utilized in applied settings
School, sports and business, ect
aerobic exercise
ercise that increases the heart rate and oxygen intake for a sustained period
May increas serotonin and endorphins
Lowered stress levels and increased happiness
Keeps the body fit and healthy
Effective at alleviating depression
aerobic exercise and depression
Mildly depressed college women who participated in an aerobic exercise program showed markedly reduced depression, compared with those who did relaxation exercises or received no treatment
sleep
Stress can cause sleep problems
-Hyperarousal (corisol)
Sleep deficiency can cause us to feel stressed
-Less patient, or agitated, emotionally creativity (things feel out of proportion)
But sleep can also reduce our feelings of and the effects of stress
-Blood pressure, cholesterol levels
