Wellness, Stress, and Coping

This flashcard set covers key concepts related to wellness, stress, and coping pertinent to the HOSA SQE Behavioral Health Exam.

Interventions for Coping

Teaching coping skills through therapy, mindfulness training, and peer support groups.

Definition of Wellness

An active process of making choices toward a healthy and balanced lifestyle, encompassing physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual health, extending beyond the mere absence of illness.

Dimensions of Wellness

The multi-faceted aspects of a healthy lifestyle which typically include Physical, Emotional, Social, Intellectual, Spiritual, and Occupational dimensions.

Physical Dimension of Wellness

Involves active participation in exercise, maintaining sound nutrition, ensuring adequate sleep, and undergoing regular medical check-ups to preserve bodily health.

Emotional Dimension of Wellness

Pertains to an individual's capacity for self-awareness, effective stress management, and the ability to appropriately identify, express, and cope with a wide range of emotions.

Social Dimension of Wellness

Focuses on developing and maintaining healthy interpersonal relationships, fostering strong social support networks, and effectively interacting within one's community.

Intellectual Dimension of Wellness

Encourages a commitment to lifelong learning, the continuous development of problem-solving skills, critical thinking, and engagement in creative and mentally stimulating activities.

Spiritual Dimension of Wellness

Relates to an individual's personal values, belief system, search for purpose and meaning in life, and ethical considerations that guide their actions and decisions.

Occupational Dimension of Wellness

Involves finding satisfaction and personal enrichment in one's work or career, balancing work demands with personal life, and contributing positively to the workplace environment.

Lifestyle Causes of Poor Wellness

Include adopting a sedentary lifestyle, consuming poor nutrition, consistently experiencing a lack of adequate sleep, and engaging in substance use or abuse.

Psychosocial Causes of Poor Wellness

Chronic stress and persistent social isolation are significant contributing factors that can detrimentally impact an individual's overall wellness.

Effects of Poor Wellness on Physical Health

Manifests as an increased susceptibility to chronic diseases such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity, thereby reducing life expectancy.

Effects of Poor Wellness on Mental Health

Can lead to the manifestation or exacerbation of various mental health disorders, including clinical depression, generalized anxiety disorder, and other mood disturbances.

Primary Interventions for Physical Wellness

Encompass lifestyle modifications such as promoting regular exercise, encouraging dietary improvements through balanced nutrition, and implementing consistent sleep hygiene practices.

Primary Interventions for Mental/Emotional Wellness

Typically involve engaging in counseling or therapy sessions, which are specifically designed to address psychological challenges and foster mental and emotional balance.

Structured Interventions for Stress Management

Involve participation in formal stress management programs that provide structured tools and techniques to help individuals effectively cope with and reduce their stress levels.

Key Professionals in General Wellness Promotion

Include primary care physicians for overall health, psychologists or counselors for mental health, and dietitians/nutritionists for dietary guidance.

Key Professionals in Physical Wellness

Physical therapists aid in rehabilitation and movement, while fitness trainers guide individuals in structured exercise routines to enhance physical health.

ICD-10 Codes Relevant to Wellness Encounters

The diagnostic codes falling within the range of Z00–Z13 are specifically utilized for routine health examinations and general wellness-related patient encounters.

Healthy People 2030 Objectives

A comprehensive set of national public health goals and objectives released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, aimed at improving the health and well-being of all Americans over a decade.

Definition of Stress

The body’s physiological or psychological manifestation of its adaptive response to perceived threats or challenges, generating physical, mental, or emotional tension.

External Factors Causing Stress

These are environmental or situational elements such as demanding work pressure, rigorous school obligations, significant life changes, financial instability, and interpersonal relationship conflicts.

Internal Factors Causing Stress

Originate from within an individual and include patterns of negative self-talk, holding unrealistic expectations, tendencies toward perfectionism, and pervasive chronic worry.

Physiological Factors Causing Stress

Involve bodily conditions such as active illness or injury, chronic sleep deprivation, and imbalances in hormonal regulation, all of which can induce a stress response.

Short-term (Acute) Stress Effects on Cardiovascular System

Characterized by an immediate increase in heart rate and blood pressure, along with an enhanced production of adrenaline as part of the 'fight or flight' response.

Psychological Effects of Acute Stress

Include temporary emotional irritability, heightened anxiety, and a feeling of being on edge, which usually subside once the immediate stressor is resolved.

Long-term (Chronic) Stress Impact on Mental Health

Can lead to the sustained development of anxiety disorders, persistent depressive episodes, and other mood disturbances due to prolonged neurochemical imbalances.

Long-term (Chronic) Stress Impact on Cardiovascular Health

Significantly increases the risks of developing cardiovascular diseases, including chronic hypertension, coronary artery disease, and an elevated risk of heart attacks.

Long-term (Chronic) Stress Impact on the Immune System

Leads to a weakened immune response, rendering individuals more vulnerable to frequent infections, delayed wound healing, and a diminished ability to fight off pathogens.

Long-term (Chronic) Stress Impact on the Gastrointestinal System

Contributes to various gastrointestinal problems, such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), gastritis, ulcers, and general indigestion due to altered gut motility and inflammation.

Long-term (Chronic) Stress Impact on Sleep

Causes the development of chronic sleep disorders, most notably insomnia, due to persistent physiological arousal and difficulty in relaxing the mind and body.

Long-term (Chronic) Stress Impact on Cognitive Function

Can result in significant cognitive difficulties, including impaired memory recall, reduced concentration, difficulty sustaining attention, and challenges in decision-making processes.

Behavioral Strategies for Stress Management

Involve engaging in regular physical exercise, practicing mindfulness techniques, meditation, various relaxation methods, and deep breathing exercises to calm the nervous system.

Cognitive Strategies for Stress Management

Include utilizing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) principles, practicing positive reframing of thoughts, and engaging in stress journaling to identify and challenge negative thought patterns.

The Role of Social Support in Stress Management

Involves actively seeking out and leveraging networks of friends and family for emotional stability, practical advice, and encouragement, or participating in formal support groups.

Medical Treatment for Severe Stress-Related Symptoms

Physicians may consider prescribing medications such as anxiolytics (anti-anxiety drugs) or antidepressants, particularly when stress symptoms are severe or comorbid with clinical depression or anxiety disorders.

Professionals Specializing in Stress Management

Primarily include psychologists and licensed therapists who are trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and other evidence-based stress management programs.

Professionals for Stress Medication Management

Psychiatrists are medical doctors who specialize in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders, including prescribing and managing medications for stress.

ICD-10 Codes for Stress Reactions and Adjustment Disorders

The diagnostic codes under category F43 are specifically employed for documenting reactions to severe stress and various types of adjustment disorders.

DSM-5 Codes for Adjustment Disorders

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, categorizes Adjustment Disorders with codes ranging from F43.20 to F43.29, describing behavioral or emotional reactions to stressors.

Definition of Coping

Refers to the dynamic array of cognitive and behavioral strategies that individuals consciously employ and adapt to effectively manage, reduce, or tolerate stress and challenging situations.

Problem-focused Coping

A type of coping strategy that directly addresses the root cause of the stressor by implementing practical solutions, such as improving time management, problem-solving, or engaging in conflict resolution.

Emotion-focused Coping

A coping strategy designed to reduce the emotional distress associated with a stressor, rather than confronting the problem itself, through techniques like mindfulness, relaxation, or journaling.

Avoidant / Maladaptive Coping

Refers to detrimental coping strategies that involve ignoring, denying, or actively avoiding stressors, often leading to negative long-term outcomes, such as substance abuse, overeating, or denial.

Positive Effects of Effective Coping

Leads to a significant reduction in overall stress and anxiety levels, promotes superior emotional regulation capabilities, and results in a marked improvement in both physical and mental health outcomes.

Enhanced Resilience from Effective Coping

Individuals who employ effective coping mechanisms develop greater personal resilience, which is their capacity to adapt well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats, or significant sources of stress.

Negative Effects of Poor Coping Strategies

Can exacerbate chronic stress outcomes, elevate anxiety and depression levels, and significantly increase the risk of developing substance abuse disorders.

Impact of Poor Coping on Functioning

Often leads to impaired social and occupational functioning, characterized by difficulties in maintaining relationships, underperformance at work or school, and general life dissatisfaction.

Therapeutic Interventions for Teaching Coping Skills

Include structured therapeutic approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and various tailored stress management programs.

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)

A structured 8-week program that teaches participants mindfulness meditation and gentle yoga practices to help reduce stress, anxiety, chronic pain, and improve overall well-being.

Professionals Involved in Coping Mechanisms Education

Mainly comprise psychologists, counselors, and therapists who specialize in behavioral health and are trained to teach, reinforce, and facilitate adaptive coping responses in individuals.