Advanced Topics in Health Psychology: Coping with Stress - Flashcards

A comprehensive set of Q&A flashcards covering core concepts from Coping with Stress, resilience, CBT, exercise, biofeedback, pets, philosophy, meditation, and societal perspectives as presented in the lecture notes.

What are the two stages in Lazarus and Folkman's model of coping when an event happens to you?

Primary appraisal (rapid interpretation of the event as a stressor or not) followed by secondary appraisal (assessing coping options and resources) and then applying strategies/resources to cope.

Define coping in the context of stress psychology.

Successfully managing the internal and external demands of situations that are appraised as stressful.

What are coping resources?

Enduring internal and external characteristics that help manage stress (e.g., friendly relationships, a supportive network, health, life circumstances).

What are coping strategies?

Specific cognitive and behavioural acts used to manage situations judged to be stressful.

What is the Ways of Coping scale used for?

A questionnaire that measures coping strategies, including problem-focused coping, detachment, seeking social support, focusing on the positive, blaming self, tension reduction, and keeping responses to self.

Differentiate problem-focused coping from emotion-focused coping.

Problem-focused coping involves solving the problem (planning, taking action); emotion-focused coping involves regulating negative emotions (which can include both adaptive strategies and distractions like avoidance or substances).

What is meaning-focused coping?

Changing the meaning of the situation through positive reinterpretation, humour, acceptance, etc.

Why is coping effectiveness context-dependent?

What works in one context or time may not work in another; different coping forms have different costs and benefits; controllability of the stressor matters.

Name two broad categories of coping resources.

(1) Stable individual differences (optimism, mastery, self-esteem); (2) Social support (perceived or actual).

What role do religion and beliefs play in coping resources?

Religious beliefs can influence coping strategies and stress appraisal, contributing to overall coping resources.

How can social media act as a coping resource, and what are the caveats?

It can provide social support and problem-solving avenues but also contributes to approval anxiety, fear of missing out, misinformation, and connection overload; benefits are not consistently established.

What neural structures are involved in the neural basis of coping?

Threat detectors like the amygdala and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC); the prefrontal cortex (PFC) can down-regulate the amygdala/ACC; social support can down-regulate ACC; positive emotion involves OFC; dopaminergic pathways support active coping.

What are proactive and reactive coping in animals?

Proactive coping: territorial control and aggression; Reactive coping: immobility and submission; both are influenced by genetics and can be effective in different contexts.

How does coping relate to physiological stress responses in animals?

Coping style is linked to the HPA axis and SAM activity; proactive copers tend to have higher sympathetic reactivity, while coping style affects parasympathetic activity and overall stress physiology.

What is resilience in psychology?

The process of bouncing back from adversity and adapting well in the face of stress.

What factors contribute to resilience according to the resilience model?

Biological dispositions, psychological factors, social networks, culture, and broader environmental influences all contribute to resilience.

Why is social support important for resilience, and what role does oxytocin play?

Social support buffers stress; oxytocin released during social contact dampens the stress response and is linked to reduced anxiety and HPA activity.

What evidence links social support to health outcomes?

Large longitudinal studies (e.g., Alameda County study) show social support predicts better health and reduced risk of stroke, heart disease, and cancer; isolation worsens outcomes.

What is Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) and who pioneered it?

A psychological treatment focusing on changing faulty thoughts and learned behaviours; pioneered by Aaron Beck and Judith Beck.

What are the basic principles of CBT?

Problems arise from faulty thinking and learned unhelpful behaviours; people can learn better coping; cognitive restructuring and behavioural changes are core elements.

What are the main elements of CBT as a toolbox?

Changing thinking patterns (recognising misaligned beliefs, understanding others’ motives, problem solving) and changing behavioural/emotional patterns (facing fears, behavioural activation, self-efficacy).

What is the CBT ABC model?

Antecedents, Behaviour, Consequences; examining how stimuli, actions, and outcomes form patterns; used to identify targets for change.

What are three major elements of CBT practice?

Thoughts (cognitive restructuring), Behaviour (activation and problem-solving), Emotions (relaxation and emotion regulation).

What are some limitations of CBT?

Requires motivated clients, not suitable for everyone; not all individuals respond; adequate cognitive function is needed; requires trained providers.

How can CBT be used to calm the body and mind?

Through techniques like breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, guided imagery, and other calming practices.

What is the role of breathing in CBT and stress management?

Breathing techniques help calm the nervous system and reduce physiological arousal, aiding in emotional regulation.

What did William James say about exercise and mental health?

Exercise supports mental health and contributes to sanity, cheerfulness, moral elasticity, and reduced fretfulness; science now backs these benefits.

How is exercise defined and what counts as physical fitness?

Exercise is planned and structured bodily movement to improve physical fitness; fitness includes cardiovascular health, strength, endurance, flexibility, and body composition.

What is the Trier stress test and what does exercise do to it?

A laboratory stress induction used to assess stress reactivity; a single session of moderate exercise reduces short-term physiological and subjective stress responses during the test.

What mechanisms underlie exercise’s stress buffering effects?

Reduction in SAM and HPA reactivity, faster recovery, and improved self-efficacy and self-esteem.

What is biofeedback and how is HRV used?

Biofeedback provides real-time physiological information (e.g., heart rate, brain activity) to help people learn to modulate responses; HRV reflects balance between sympathetic and parasympathetic activity and can be improved with paced breathing.

What is the historical significance of Swami Rama in biofeedback?

Swami Rama demonstrated control over body temperature and heart rate in laboratory-style tests, fueling renewed interest in biofeedback.

What is the current consensus on biofeedback for stress management?

Biofeedback shows some evidence of reducing anxiety and stress in small trials, but it remains less accepted mainstream due to inconsistent, small-scale results and practicality concerns.

What are some mental-health benefits of pets, particularly dogs and cats?

Companionship, routine, increased autonomy and self-esteem, purpose, reduced stress, social interaction, and physical health benefits through activities like walking.

What evidence supports pets as a social coping resource?

Dogs can increase social interaction and trust (social catalyst effect); pet presence can reduce heart rate and blood pressure during stress and mitigate negative life events.

What are the proposed mechanisms by which pet ownership reduces stress?

Affective touch (oxytocin release), reduced ACC activation, increased sense of safety and reduced isolation, improved self-efficacy and meaning.

What is Stoicism and which three notable figures are associated with its classical development?

Stoicism is the philosophy of recognizing what you can and cannot control and focusing energy on controllables; key figures include Epictetus, Seneca, and Marcus Aurelius (and origins with Zeno).

What is the central Stoic maxim about control?

Recognize what you can control and what you can’t; what you can’t control is not worth worrying about; focus on what is within your control.

How do yoga and mindfulness relate to coping with stress?

Yoga and mindfulness promote emotion and thought regulation; they induce relaxation and present-moment focus, aiding stress reduction.

What is the evidence status of meditative practices for stress management?

Systematic reviews and meta-analyses indicate meditative practices are effective for stress management and promoting relaxation, though methodological challenges (blinding/placebo) limit certainty.

What societal shift is argued to be necessary beyond individual coping?

A focus on we rather than me: addressing environmental factors like inequality; advocacy and public health interventions to reduce societal stressors.

What are some suggested societal remedies for inequality and stress?

Policies and actions like fair wealth distribution, taxation, economic democracy (e.g., worker participation), strengthening trade unions, and reducing wealth inequality to improve population mental health.

What are the key take-home messages about coping from the lecture?

Coping combines problem solving and emotion regulation; coping resources include social support; resilience relies on social support; CBT provides a powerful toolkit; exercise and other strategies aid regulation; public health approaches are needed to address inequality.