Units 14-16: Health Psychology

Unit 14: Health Psychology - Stress

Health Psychology Health psychology examines the relationship

between psychological behavior and physical health/illness.

Focus of health psychology is on– Wellness– Prevention of illness

Many major causes of death are related to behavior and lifestyle rather than to infections.– Smoking, drinking, risky sex are causes of death

that can be prevented.– These behaviors can be understood in

psychological terms

Biopsychosocial model of health

StresStresss

WHAT IS STRESS? Stress is your mind and body’s response

or reaction to a real or imagined threat, event or change.

The threat, event or change are commonly called stressors. Stressors can be internal (thoughts, beliefs, attitudes) or external (loss, tragedy, change).

Stressors - vocab Acute Stressors

– Sudden and brief

– We evolved to deal well with these Chronic Stressors

– Last for a long time and/or recur

– These are the ones that cause us health issues

Allostasis: balance between the body’s systems

Stressful Life Events

Catastrophic Events earthquakes, combat stress, floods

Life Changes death of a loved one, divorce, loss of job,

promotion Daily Hassles

rush hour traffic, long lines, job stress, burnout

Social Readjustment Rating Scale – Holmes and Rahe (1967) An attempt to quantify and

compare stressful life changes Scores are calculated for a

person’s experiences over the past year.

High life change scores (300+) are related to relatively high frequency of illness, accidents and athletic injuries.

Evaluation of SRRS

Does not take into account some people find some things stressful whilst others do not.

No cause and effect relationship show; we cannot give reliable predictions about risks of stress-related illness based on this scale.

Stressful Life Events Chronic Stress by Age

General Adaptation Syndrome

Selye (1936)

Physiological aspects of stress

Stress and Illness General

Adaptation Syndrome Selye’s

concept of the body’s adaptive response to stress in three stages

Stressresistance

Phase 1Alarm

reaction(mobilize

resources)

Phase 2Resistance(cope with stressor)

Phase 3Exhaustion(reservesdepleted)

The body’s resistance to stress canlast only so long before exhaustion sets in

Stressoroccurs

Effects of Stress The sympathetic portion of the autonomic

nervous system is activated during stress.– Goal is to increase muscle strength &

endurance, slow or halt all other processes– Increased heart rate, muscle tension,blood

pressure– Release of epinephrine, cortisol and others– Body neglects other necessary functions

(immune response, healing, reproduction)

Pituitary hormone in the bloodstream stimulatesthe outer part of the adrenalgland to release the stress hormone cortisol

Sympathetic nervoussystem releases the stress hormonesepinephrine andnorepinephrinefrom nerve endings in the inner part ofthe adrenal glands

Thalamus

Hypothalamus

Pituitary gland

Adrenal glands

Cerebral cortex(perceives stressor)

Stress and health (cont’d) Immune system functioning

is impaired by exposure to stress.– Cortisol suppresses immune system

functioning (T-cells).– Compromised immune system is

less able to resist infection and cancer development.

Cardiovascular Health– Increased heart rate and blood

pressure lead to a hardening of the veins

– Cardiac arrest can result

Stress and Disease Negative emotions and health-related

consequences

Unhealthy behaviors(smoking, drinking,

poor nutrition and sleep)

Persistent stressorsand negative

emotions

Release of stresshormones

Heartdisease

Immunesuppression

Autonomic nervoussystem effects

(headaches,hypertension)

Stress and Illness Leading causes of death in the US in 1900

and 2000

Direct effect on health Cohen et al (1991) 394 healthy

participants were asked to complete a questionnaire assessing stress levels and then exposed to 1 of 5 respiratory viruses

Those experiencing most stress were most likely to develop colds.

This was a direct effect because there was no other variable.

Kiecolt-Glaser (1984) Study exam stress on students Took blood samples from 75 1st yr med

students one month before exam and on first exam day.

Students also completed stress surveys Second sample had significantly fewer T-cells

(showing reduced immune response) Students whose surveys showed they were

stressed and lonely had lower T-cell counts

Stress and the Heart

Hopelessnessscores

3.5

3

2.5

2

1.5

1

0.5

0 Heart attack DeathLow risk Moderate risk High risk

Men who feel extreme hopelessnessare at greater risk for heart attacksand early death