psyc 102 lec 10

Mental Health

Impacts how we think, feel, and act when faced with different situations in our lives.

Stress

A response to a situation that threatens, or appears to threaten, one's sense of well-being.

Stressor

Something that triggers a stress response.

Acute Stressor

A short-term stressor such as a test, accident, competition, interview, or first date.

Chronic Stressor

A long-term stressor such as poverty, a high-pressure job, difficult relationships, chronic illness, or poor sleep.

Daily Hassles

Micro-stressors from everyday life such as losing keys, phone dying, work conflict, or relationship problems.

Change as a Stressor

Life changes like moving away, breakups, illness, death, or meeting new people can cause stress.

Traumatic Events

Severe stressors including war, accidents, sexual assault, and violence.

Chronic Negative Situations

Ongoing stressors like poverty, chronic illness, and a negative home environment.

Socio-cultural Conditions

Stressors related to immigrating, learning a new language, and balancing cultures.

Feeling Frustrated

An emotion experienced when something prevents us from reaching a goal.

Feeling Pressure

Stress from an expectation or demand that one should act in a certain way.

Feeling Conflict

Discomfort caused by two or more incompatible goals or impulses (approach/approach, avoidance/avoidance, approach/avoidance).

Feeling Endangered

Stress produced by life-threatening situations.

Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS)

A scale of 43 life events likely to cause stress, measured in life-change units (LCUs).

Undergraduate Stress Questionnaire

Similar to the SRRS but developed specifically for stress experienced by university students.

Perceived Stress Scale

A scale measuring how stress is impacting you, not just the events you've experienced.

SNS Pathway (Pathway 1)

The brain excites the sympathetic nervous system, activating the adrenal medulla to release norepinephrine and epinephrine, raising heart rate and blood pressure.

HPA Axis (Pathway 2)

The hypothalamus stimulates the pituitary gland to release ACTH, which triggers the adrenal cortex to release cortisol, increasing blood sugar and metabolism.

General Adaptation Syndrome - Alarm Stage

The body's initial reaction to a stressor; triggers the fight-or-flight response.

General Adaptation Syndrome - Resistance Stage

The body attempts to stabilize if the stressor continues; may result in vulnerability to disease.

General Adaptation Syndrome - Exhaustion Stage

Further exposure to the stressor depletes the body's energy and resistance.

Primary Appraisal

Evaluating how significant or threatening a stressor is.

Secondary Appraisal

Evaluating one's resources and ability to cope with the stressor.

Type A Personality

Competitive, impatient, angry, and hostile; results in continual stress; also called the coronary-prone personality.

Type B Personality

More relaxed, less aggressive, less hostile; experiences lower levels of stress.

Type C Personality

Positive attitudes but unable to express or acknowledge negative feelings; particularly vulnerable to stress.

Type D Personality

Characterized by worry, gloominess, and social inhibition; distressed in ways that impact health.

Coping

Efforts to manage, reduce, or tolerate stress.

Problem-Focused Coping

Coping efforts aimed directly at the stressor itself.

Emotion-Focused Coping

Coping by changing one's feelings about the stressor.

Cognitive Reappraisal

Finding a way to reinterpret negative aspects of a situation so they are less upsetting.

Social Support and Stress

Greater social support correlates with lower levels of stress.

Eustress

An optimal level of stress that promotes physical and psychological health.

Inoculation (Stress)

Dealing with small levels of stress to build resilience for increasingly stressful situations.

Stress and Illness

Over 300 LCUs in a year increases the likelihood of a serious health problem; 70–80% of doctor visits are stress-related.