Stress, Health, and Coping - Lecture 13

Stress

a term used loosely to describe a variety of unpleasant feeling states (frustrated, angry, conflicted, overwhelmed, fatigued)

Stimulus-based definition

stress is a demanding/threatening event/situation

• characterizes stress as a stimulus that causes certain reactions: “stressors”

Response-based definition

emphasize physiological responses that occur in response to demanding/threatening situation

• characterizes stress as a response to environmental conditions

Chronic stressors

events that persist over an extended period of time (ex: long term unemployment)

Acute stressors

brief events that sometimes continue to be experienced as overwhelming well after event ended (ex: breaking leg)

Traumatic events

situations involving exposure to actual or threatened death/serious injury

Life changes

the amount of resulting change in daily life (ex: moving)

Holmes and Rahe

hypothesized that life events requiring significant change are stressful, whether they are desirable or undesirable

• assigned each life event a score from 11 - 100, the perceived magnitude of life change they involve

• death of spouse (100), divorce (73), marital separation (65)

Daily hassles

minor irritations and annoyances that are part of our every day lives

• can build up and leave us feeling stressed

• frequency of daily hassles and how we respond is often considered a better predictor of physical and physiological health than life change units (e.g, daily commutes)

Occupational stress

difficult, demanding, or unsafe working conditions

Job strain

work situation the combines excessive job demands and workload with little power in decision making/job control

Job burnout

a sense of emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and sense of failure in one’s job

Close relationships

relationships with friends and family can be a source of stress

• adverse exchanges or interpersonal conflicts

• lack of emotional support or confiding

• lack of reciprocity

Primary appraisal

judgment about the degree of potential harm/threat to well-being that a stressor might entail

• threat: stressor that could lead to harm/loss/negative consequences

• challenge: stressor that carries the potential for gain/personal growth

  • ex: graduating college can be viewed as either

Secondary appraisal

judgment of the options available to cope with a stressor, and perceptions of how effective such options will be

• a threat is less stressful if we believe we can do something about it

Stress…

is likely to result if a stressor (external event) is perceived as highly threatening and/or there are few or no effective coping options available

Good stress - Eustress

stress that can be positive and motive us to do things in our best interests

• associated with positive feelings, optimal health, and performance

• Low to moderate level of stress → eustress

Distress

“bad” stress, causing people to feel burned out (fatigued and exhausted) and performance to decline

Health Impacts of Stress

Stress can evoke a variety of responses including:

• physiological: accelerated heart rate, sweating (fight or flight)

• cognitive: difficulty concentrating or making decisions

• behavioral: drinking alcohol, smoking (or, adaptive strategies)

General Adaption Syndrome

1. Alarm Reaction: the body’s immediate reaction upon facing a threatening situation/emergency

• reactions that provide energy to manage situation

2. Stage of Resistance: body has adapted to the stressor but remains alert and prepared to respond (with less intensity)

• physiological reactions diminish

3. Stage of Exhaustion: person can no longer adapt to the stressor, physical wear takes it toll on the body’s tissues and organs

• may result in illness, disease

Coping

refers to the ways in which we try to change circumstances

Problem-focused coping

attempts to manage or alter the problem that is causing stress

• involves identifying the problem, considering the possible situations, weigh the costs and benefits of these solutions, and then selecting an alternative

• more likely to occur when stressor is perceived as controllable

Emotion-focused coping

efforts to change or reduce the negative emotions associated with stress

• can include reframing how we think about it, stress0reduction strategies like deep breathing, distracting or distancing oneself from the problem

• more often used for stressors we feel powerless to change