Stress, Coping, Health Flashcards
stress
a phenomenon in which some factor(s) in the environment causes a person to feel threatened or challenged in some way OR some kind of stressor which involves internal and external adoption by an individual, is known as a stress response.
General Adaption Syndrome
3 stages: Alarm, Resistance, Exhaustion, appears regardless of stressor, hypothalamus initiates response, HPA(order of organs triggered) equivalent to flight to flight response
Stress response
the reaction to some kind of stressor which involves internal and external adaption by individual
ex) people living near 9/11 had less gray matter; children watch tv coverage of 9/11 had PTSD symptoms
Alarm
1st rxn to stressor, resistance diminished, release of stress hormones
resistance
adapts to stressor, increased resistance, alarm diminished, tries to shut down unnecessary processes such as digestion, growth, sex drive
exhaustion
long continued exposure, wearing down the bodies resistance..alarm rxn reappears..death/illness
illness and the immune system
Bathrop: grief can decrease immune function
Stone: college students kept a diary, decrease immune function (anti body levels)
Visintainer: stress increase spread of cancer. 75% of rats with cancer in stress group died vs. 50%
Keicolt-Glaser: stress of caring for someone w/ a chronic disease..delays wound repair of that person (10dys)
learned helplessness
belief that one does not have control over one’s situation based on past experiences
How does stress exert its effect?
people who are stressed do things that compromise one’s immune function; release of stress hormones - cortisol and adrenaline which suppress immune function
Personality factors in stress
Type A, B, phony B’s
Type A
greater risk for heart attack; demonstrates a competitive orientation towards achievement, always has a sense of urgency, tendency to anger & hostility
Type B
lower levels of competitiveness, urgency, anger & hostility
Phony Type B’s
appear to be Type B’s on surface but inside they are tense, feel urgency and hostility
Environmental factors in stress
rating scale, hardiness, control
Holmes and Rahe social readjustment scale
losing a relationship is stressful, good things can be stressful too.. like getting married
hardiness
some people are just immune to the effects of stress, this can be learned
control
Brady: wrong, in control more means more stress, not right having less power is more stressful
Weiss: the right answer, same study as Brady
Langer and Rodin: nursing home residents; 1 group could choose vs no choice (died early)
social support
Aid gained through interacting with others; heart attack patients have slower recoveries if spouse was not supportive; internet usage negatively correlated with family members, size of social circle; college students do not sleep well when lonely
coping
interpretation of stimulus as stressor or not
Primary Appraisal
is this important to me.. yes/no
ex) dark spot on shirt.. spider or not
secondary appraisal
what strategy can I use to maximize positive outcomes and minimize negative outcomes, determining if its something you can handle or not, control vs no control
problem focused coping
support group, better if you have control over the problem
emotional focused coping
better for problems where you do not have control
coping techniques
thought suppression doesn’t work.. increases HR bc it takes effort to suppress things
relaxation..leads ro better recovery, helps depression, anxiety and immune function
aerobic exercise..3-4 times a week for 20-30mins is optimal
thinking positively.. more likely to overcome addiction
