Stress Management - Biological (Drugs) and Psychological (Therapy)

Question 1

There are 2 main methods for managing stress levels. What are they?

Answer 1

1. Biological - using drugs to deal with the symptoms of stress
2. Psychological - training the mind to cope with stress

Question 2

Benzodiazapines (BZs) - could you give 3 basic steps in how they work?

Answer 2

1. They enhance the action of Gamma-Aminobutric Acid (GABA)
2. This releases more chloride ions into the neurons which calms everything down by slowing the nervous system
3. They also reduce the impact of Seratonin whcih arouses parts of the brain.

Question 3

Can you identify a common variety of Benzodiazapine?

Answer 3

Diazepam

Valium

Question 4

Are there any side effects to the use of Benzodiazapines?

Answer 4

Yes -
Potential addiction
Adverse effects on co-ordination, sleepiness and amnesia
They can cause hostile and aggressive behaviour

Question 5

Can you identify 2 pieces of supporting evidence for the use of BZs?

Answer 5

Kahn et al (1986) found that BZs has a significant calming effect in comparison with placebos.

Hildalgo et al (2001) reported high levels of effectiveness compared to other ‘depressant’ drugs.

Question 6

What do Beta Blockers block?

Answer 6

Beta blockers block the effects of the stress homrones adrenaline and nor-adrenaline

Question 7

How do Beta Blockers do their blocking?

Answer 7

They bind to receptors on the heart that would be stimulated by the adrenaline and nor adrenaline. This actually slows the heart rate down and allows the individual to stay calm.

Question 8

Beta blockers have a knock on effect to the blood vessels. What is it?

Answer 8

The blood vessels don’t constrict so easily meaning blood pressure stays lower leading to a feeling of calmness.

Question 9

Why might sports people, where the sport is focussed on accuracy, use beta blockers? The same reason could be used for musicians as identified by Lockwood (1989).

Answer 9

To control anxiety which might result in nervous movement. For example in snooker it is important to have a steady hand.

Question 10

Can you identify positive reasons for drug use to treat stress?

Answer 10

• Fast acting
• No skill requirement, just take the pills
• Symptoms are solved and the person feels better

Question 11

Can you identify negative reasons for drug use to treat stress?

Answer 11

• Potential side effects
• Potential dependency and addiction
• Only treats the symptoms and not the underlying issues

Question 12

Psychological methods of stress management:

What does SIT stand for in the realms of Psychological treatment for stress?

Answer 12

Stress Inoculation Therapy

Question 13

What does ‘inoculation’ mean?

Answer 13

Prevention or protection from a future problem, in this case ‘stress’.

Question 14

Who developed Stress Inoculation Therapy?

Answer 14

Donald Meichenbaum (1985)

Question 15

How many stages are involved in Stress Inoculation Therapy (SIT) ? What are they called?

Answer 15

3 stages

1. Conceptualisation
2. Skills Acquisition
3. Application and follow through

Question 16

Conceptualisation stage - what happens here?

Answer 16

Teaching the client to think of the perceived threats differently. To think of them as problems to be solved rather than threats to worry about.

Question 17

Skills Acquisition - what happens here?

Answer 17

Development and practise of skills in secure environment and then in real life situations. Skills such as positive self talk, negative thought stopping, relaxation techniques etc

Question 18

Application and follow through - what happens here?

Answer 18

Using the new skills in increasingly stressful situations using role play, imagery and maybe teaching the skills to to others.

Question 19

Does SIT work?

Answer 19

Meichenbaum (1977) found that it worked when treating snake phobias and that the skills gained helped to deal with other phobias too, suggesting a longer term effect.

Sheehy and Horan (2004) found that law students experienced lower stress and anxiety over time after completing SIT training.

Question 20

What are the strengths of Stress Inoculation Therapy?

Answer 20

• Long term protection from stress.
• It deals with the root causes of stress by developing coping strategies and new thinking about the stressors
• There are no side effects as there might be in drug use

Question 21

What are the weakness of Stress Inoculation Therapy?

Answer 21

• It is time consuming
• This can lead to high cost
• It can be quite complex and maybe parts of it would be just as effective without the rest.

Question 22

What is the aim of Hardiness training?

Answer 22

Hardiness training aims to build confidence and develop a sense of control in challenging situations.

Question 23

Which methods does hardiness training use (3)?

Answer 23

• Focus - client is taught about the triggers of stress and how to recognise the signs of stress
• Reliving Stress Encounters - analysis of stressful situations that have been experienced previously to work out why they were stressful
• Self-improvement - Learning new techniques, particularly how to see stress as a challenge that can be controlled and defeated