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Chapter 14Chapter 14

Stress, Health, and Well-Being

Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2009

22

What Causes Stress?What Causes Stress?

Traumatic events, chronic lifestyle conditions, major life

changes, and even minor hassles can all cause stress.


33

StressStress

Stress –

• A type of emotional response

• Cognitive appraisal plays a role• Leads to individual differences


44

Traumatic StressorsTraumatic Stressors

A situation that threatens one’s physical safety, arousing feelings of feel, horror, or helplessness • e.g., sudden life changes

Catastrophic Events-

Sudden violent calamities• e.g., natural disasters, terrorist attacks


55

Psychological Response to Psychological Response to CatastropheCatastrophe

Cohen and Ahearn (1980) identified five stages that occur in the wake of natural disasters.

1. Psychic numbness

2. Automatic action

3. Communal effort

4. Letdown

5. Recovery


66

Working Through CatastrophesWorking Through Catastrophes

Narratives-

• Formulate accounts of what happened

• Stories help explain ourselves to others

Trauma in the Media-

• news coverage expands the experience

• Can create second-hand traumatizatione.g., perceived greater personal risk and threat

Vicarious Traumatization-

Severe stress caused when one is exposed to others’ accounts of trauma


77

GriefGrief

• Emotional response to loss

• Painful complex of feelings• Sadness, anger, helplessness, guilt, despair

• Attempt to make sense of loss

• Normal process of adapting to major life changes


88

Posttraumatic StressPosttraumatic Stress

Posttraumatic stress disorder – (PTSD)

• delayed stress reaction

• individual involuntarily re-experiences mental and physical responses that accompanied the trauma• e.g., natural disasters, life-threatening

accident, witness to a murder


99

Symptoms of PTSDSymptoms of PTSD

• Distracted

• Disorganized

• Memory difficulties

• Emotionally numb

• Less likely to feel pleasure

• Feel alienated by others

• Trouble sleeping

• Guilt about surviving

• Difficulty concentrating


1010

Chronic StressorsChronic Stressors

Stressful conditions with a gradual onset, lower intensity, and long lasting

1) Social stressors-Pressures in our social, cultural, and economic environment (e.g., unemployment, racism)

2) Burnout – A syndrome of emotional exhaustion, physical fatigue, and cognitive weariness


1111

Chronic StressorsChronic Stressors

3) Major Life Events-e.g., beginning of end of a relationship, new job, starting college

4) Daily Hassles – Situations that cause minor irritation or frustration


1212

A Model of StressA Model of Stress


1313

Change Can Be Hazardous to Your Change Can Be Hazardous to Your HealthHealth

Social Readjustment Ratings Scale – A psychological rating scale designed to measure stress levels by means of values attached to common life changes


1414

How Does StressHow Does StressAffect Us Physically?Affect Us Physically?

The physical stress response begins with arousal, which

stimulates a series of psychological responses that – in short term- are adaptive, but which can turn harmful

after prolonged stress


1616

The Physiological Response to StressThe Physiological Response to Stress

Fight-or-flight response –

• A sequence of internal processes that prepares the organism for struggle or escape

Acute stress –

• A temporary pattern of arousal caused by a stressor with a clear onset and offset

Chronic stress –

• A continuous state of stressful arousal persisting over time


1717

The Physical Stress ResponseThe Physical Stress Response

General adaptation syndrome (GAS) – A pattern of general physical responses that takes essentially the same form in responding to any serious chronic stressor


1818Resistance

Resistance– the body

seems to adapt to the

presence of the stressor

Alarm Reaction

Alarm reaction – the body

mobilizes it’s resources to cope with a

stressor

The General Adaptation SyndromeThe General Adaptation Syndrome

Exhaustion

Illness/death

Exhaustion– the body

depletes it’s resources

Level ofnormal resistance

Successful Resistance


1919

Tend-and-befriend modelTend-and-befriend model

Stress response model proposing that females are biologically predisposed to respond to stress by nurturing and protecting offspring and seeking social support


2020

Stress and the Immune SystemStress and the Immune System

Immune system –

• bodily organs and responses that protect the body from foreign substances and threats

Immunosuppresion-

• impairment in the function of the immune system

Psychoneuroimmunology-

• Multidisciplinary field that pulls together psychologists, neurologists, and immunologists

• Interest in mind-body connection


2121

Who is Most Vulnerable Who is Most Vulnerable to Stress?to Stress?

Personality characteristics impact our individual responses

to stressful situations and, consequently, the degree to

which we feel exposed to potential stressors


2222

Personality and StressPersonality and Stress

Type A –

• behavior pattern characterized by intense, angry, competitive, or perfectionistic responses to challenging situations

Type B –

• behavior pattern characterizedby a relaxed, unstressedapproach to life


2323

Locus of ControlLocus of Control

Individual’s expectations about our ability to influence the outcomes in our life.

• Internals-belief that one has the ability to gain the outcomes desired

• Externals-factors outside one’s control will determine outcomes

Influence on health-

• Comparison of internal vs. external

• Research with seniors varying level of control


2424

Psychological Responses to StressPsychological Responses to Stress

Learned helplessness –

• Pattern of not responding to noxious stimuli after an organism learns that its behavior has no effect

Hardiness –

• Mental quality of resistance to stress, based on a sense of 3 characteristics:• challenge, commitment, and control


2525

Psychological Factors Related Psychological Factors Related to Stress and Healthto Stress and Health

Optimism-

• See a future of bright possibilities

• Fewer physical symptoms of illness

• Recover more quickly from certain disorders

• Live longer

Resilience –

• Capacity to adapt, achieve well-being, and cope with stress, in spite of serious threats to development


2626

Healthy coping strategies reduce the impact of stress on our health, and lifestyle choices reduce both our perceived stress and its

impact on our health

How Can We Reduce How Can We Reduce the Impact of Stress the Impact of Stress

on Our Health?on Our Health?


2727

Psychological Coping StrategiesPsychological Coping Strategies

Defending– • reducing the symptoms of stress• reducing one’s awareness of stress

Coping – • taking action to reduce or eliminate

cause of stress• Problem-focused• Emotion-focused coping


2828

Psychological Coping StrategiesPsychological Coping Strategies

Emotion-focused coping – Responding to stress by controlling one’s emotional responses

Problem-focused coping – Responding to stress by identifying, reducing, and eliminating the stressor


2929

Psychological Resources For Coping Psychological Resources For Coping With StressWith Stress

Cognitive restructuring –

• reappraising stressors

• goal to create a less-stressful perspective

• seeing a situation in a more positive light

• cornerstone of cognitive-behavioral therapy


3030


Social Comparison –

• Type of cognitive restructuring

• Compare oneself to others in similar situation

• Downward social comparison• Compare to those worse off

• Upward social comparison• Compare to those better off

Positive Emotions –

• Health inducing

• Increases longevity


3131


Psychological Debriefing

• Brief, immediate counseling focused on venting emotions and discussing reactions to the trauma

• Based on belief it is best to express negative feelings

Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD)

• Group sessions to trauma survivors

• Few studies to test its effectiveness


3232

Psychological Resources For Coping With Psychological Resources For Coping With StressStress

Social support – • Emotional support, tangible assistance,

informational support

• Resources others provide to help an individual cope with stress

• Reduces physical and psychological ailments

• Increases longevity


3333

Physical Coping StrategiesPhysical Coping Strategies

Physical coping strategies include

• Exercise

• Nutrition and diet

Using drugs as stress relievers is more of a defense than a coping strategy


3434

Happiness and Well-BeingHappiness and Well-Being

Subjective well-being (SWB) –An individual’s evaluative response to his or her life, including cognitive and emotional reactions


3535

Health Psychology and Behavioral Health Psychology and Behavioral MedicineMedicine

Behavioral medicine – Medical field specializing in the link between lifestyle and disease

Health psychology – Psychological specialty devoted to understanding how people stayhealthy, why they become ill, andhow they respond when ill


3636

Prevention: The Example of Heart Prevention: The Example of Heart DiseaseDisease

Knowledge of cardio-vascular disease risk factors was greater among residents of Town BTown B, who were exposed to a two-year two-year mass media campaignmass media campaign, than among residents in Town ATown A, who were not not exposed to the campaignexposed to the campaign


3737


Per

cen

tag

e o

f ch

ang

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kn

ow

led

ge

Media campaign in progress

50

40

30

20

10

00 1 2 3

Good

Years

Town A(Control)Town A

(Control)

Town B(media only)

Town B(media only)


3838

Per

cen

tag

e o

f ch

ang

e in

kn

ow

led

ge

Media campaign in progress

50

40

30

20

10

00 1 2 3

Good

Years

Town A(Control)Town A

(Control)

Town B(media only)

Town B(media only)

Town C(media and workshops)

Town C(media and workshops)


Knowledge gain was greater still in residents of Town Town CC, who participated in intense intense workshops and workshops and instruction sessionsinstruction sessions for several months during the media blitz


3939Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2009


As knowledge increased, bad health habits decreased, with town Ctown C leading the way, followed by town Btown B

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