Stress and Coping Mechanisms

Flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts from lecture notes on stress and coping mechanisms.

Pathogenic pathway

Focuses on how stress and negative factors cause illness.

Salutogenic pathway

Focuses on what supports health and resilience despite stress.

Stress

A negative emotional experience with physical, psychological, and behavioral responses (Baum, 1990).

Stress

Results from evaluating if personal resources are enough to meet a demand (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984).

Stressor

Any stimulus that triggers the stress response.

Fight or flight

Triggered by the sympathetic nervous system (SNS)—prepares body for action.

Tend and befriend

More common in females—seeks social support and nurturance.

Alarm (General Adaptation Syndrome)

SNS activation, cortisol/adrenaline release.

Resistance (General Adaptation Syndrome)

Body attempts to adapt; parasympathetic system tries to restore balance.

Exhaustion (General Adaptation Syndrome)

Chronic stress depletes energy, causes illness (e.g., anxiety, depression).

Cortisol

Regulates energy, suppresses inflammation, helps the body respond to threats.

Primary Appraisal

Is this event harmful or threatening?

Secondary Appraisal

Can I cope? What strategies are available?

Problem-Focused Coping

Aims to change the situation.

Confrontive coping

Direct action (e.g., assertive response).

Planful problem-solving

Rational assessment and action.

Emotion-Focused Coping

Managing emotional response.

Escape-avoidance

Distraction or denial.

Seeking social support

Emotional or practical help.

Mindfulness

Present-focused awareness of thoughts, feelings, and body.

Salutogenic Approach

Focuses on promoting health and well-being in response to stress.

Pathogenic Approach

Concentrates on preventing or eliminating disease.

Primary Appraisal (Transactional Model)

Evaluating the significance of the stressor.

Secondary Appraisal (Transactional Model)

Assessing available coping resources.

Problem-Focused Coping (Transactional Model)

Addressing the source of stress directly.

Emotion-Focused Coping (Transactional Model)

Managing emotional responses to stress.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Focuses on changing negative thought patterns and behaviors.

Stress

A response to an external threat or demand.

Anxiety

A persistent feeling of worry or fear, often without an identifiable threat.

Alarm (Hans Selye’s Model)

Initial reaction to stressor (sympathetic NS activated)

Resistance (Hans Selye’s Model)

Body attempts to return to normal (parasympathetic NS active)

Exhaustion (Hans Selye’s Model)

Prolonged stress depletes resources → physiological breakdown

Adrenaline (epinephrine)

Increases HR, blood pressure, prepares for fight/flight

Cortisol

Maintains stress response, increases blood sugar, suppresses immune system

ACT – Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

Essential psychological model discussed: Accept your thoughts and feelings, Choose a valued direction, Take action.

Distress

Negative, overwhelming stress (focus of most clinical attention).

Eustress

Positive, motivating stress (e.g., athletes before performance).

Formulation

Learning to tell the psychological story using psychological concepts.