Stress Coping and Health

Stress

the tension, discomfort, or physical symptoms that arise when a stressor strains our ability to cope effectively

Trauma

a type of stressor so severe that it causes long-term psychological and physical health consequences

response, perceived

Emotional, physiological, behavioural, and cognitive experiences in
_______ to ______ threats or challenges

stressors as stimuli

identifying different types of stressful events (e.g. death of a spouse, divorce, pregnancy, etc.)

Social Readjustment Rating Scale

Assesses a range of typically stressful life events, predicts future illness

Hassles

minor annoyances that strain our ability to cope can impact us as well
More hassles → poorer physical health, depression, and anxiety

Daily Hassles Scale

• Measures frequency and perceived severity of regular life
  stressors

  • Social, financial, work, health, home, etc.

    May be a better predictor of mental and physical health

stress as a transaction

stressor —> primary appraisal —> secondary appraisal —> problem-focused coping OR emotion-focused coping

stress as a response

• psychological

  • feelings of hopelessness

  • worry

  • depression

• physiological

  • increased heart rate

  • rapid breathing

  • tense musces

  • pupils dilate

General Adaptation Syndrome (Selye, 1956)

1. Alarm
2. Resistance
3. Exhaustion

Alarm

• CNS and limbic system, adrenaline and cortisol, fight-or-flight mode

• autonomic nervous system is activated

• stress hormones released

• physical symptoms of anxiety

Resistance

• cerebral cortex (thinking brain) takes over, assesses risk

• you adapt and find ways to cope with the stressor

Exhaustion

• long-term stressors; inability to cope leads to illness and burnout

Fight or flight

automatic physiological reaction to threat/stress; either stand to fight it or run away to hide.

Tend and befriend

in times of threat, the tendency to protect the ones you love; seek out social group for mutual defense

fawn or freeze

Fawn: ingratiate, try to please, diffuse situation
Freeze: shut down, unable to move or speak

PTSD

• Condition that sometimes follows extremely stressful
  (i.e., traumatic) life events

  • Severity, Duration, Nearness

• PTSD collection of symptoms

  • high arousal, intrusive thoughts, avoidance, withdrawal, hypervigilance

Coping with stress: Social Support

Interpersonal relations with people, groups, community
Four social ties that buffer against stress (Berkman & Syme, 1979):
1. marriage
2. contact with friends
3. church membership
4. formal/informal group association

Coping with stress: Behavioural control

• AKA Problem-focused coping

• Ability to do something to reduce the impact of a stressful situation/prevent recurrence

• Better than avoidance

Coping with stress: Cognitive control

• AKA Emotion-focused coping

• Ability to cognitively restructure or think differently about negative emotions

• Collective self-esteem

Coping with stress: Decisional control

Ability to choose among alternative courses of action

Coping with stress: Informational control

• Ability to acquire information about a stressful event

• Proactive coping

Coping with stress: Emotional control

• Ability to suppress and express emotions

• Catharsis

Hardiness

• set of attitudes where you:

  • See change as a challenge instead of a threat

  • Are committed to their life and work

  • Believe you can control events

Optimism

• positive outlook on life, better handling of stress, lower illness

• more productive, focused, and handle frustration better

• Also show lower levels of mortality and better immune system response

Spirituality

• religion is associated with better coping

  • Unmeasurable healing energy

  • Lifestyle

  • Social connection

  • Sense of control

Maladaptive coping

• self-destructive behaviour

• supressing negative emotions

• ruminating

Psychoneuroimmunology

studies relation between the immune system and our central nervous system

weakens

chronic stress _____ the immune system

Psychophysiological

• Physical illnesses that emotions and stress contribute to or maintain

  • Ulcers (caused by bacteria)

  • Coronary heart disease

  • Common cold

Biopsychosocial model

most medical conditions are influenced by physical and social factors

bio

cholesterol accumulates, atherosclerosis, medications

psycho

personality, anger, diet, exercise choices

social

stress, supports, work, neighbourhood

benefits of stress

• motivation to get work done

• signal of problems in life

• help us deal with emergencies

• community building

Health psychology

combines behavioural sciences with medicine to develop educational interventions

Four key behaviours for optimal health and coping:

1) don’t smoke/vape
2) don’t drink
3) healthy body weight
4) exercise

barriers to healthy lifestyle

1) personal inertia

2) misunderstood risk

3) powerlessness

Alternative medicine

health care practices and products used instead of conventional medicine

Complementary medicine

health care products and practices used in combination with conventional
medicine

CAM approaches

Mind-body medicine (yoga, meditation)
Body manipulation (chiropractors, reflexology)
Energy therapy (tai chi, acupuncture)
Biological approaches (vitamins, supplements, diets)
Alternative medicine systems (homeopathy)

Chiropractic

• manipulate the spine to treat pain and injury

• Target subluxations – little scientific support

• Can cause paralysis and severe injury

Acupuncture

• insertion of needles strategically to relieve
  blocked energy

• Sham acupuncture as effective as real acupuncture

  • placebo effects?

Why are CAM approaches popular?

• placebo effects

• unaware of risks

• symptoms naturally come and go

• often go along with conventional medicine

• misdiagnoses

vitamins, herbs, supplements

• make big promises to help serious conditions

• generally ineffective

• can be very dangerous

  • not regulated

  • drug interactions (e.g. blocks actual medications)

  • many dangerous impurities (e.g. lead, arsenic)

  • side effects and injury (e.g. liver failure)