Stress, Coping, & Health
Stress, Coping, & Health
Outline
Health Psychology
Stress
Coping Methods
Longevity
Health Psychology
Health psychology is the study of psychological, social, and cultural factors that influence physical health.
Focuses on factors and mechanisms that alter physiological responses.
Historically, physical health and illness were viewed solely as biological phenomena.
Stress
Stress vs. Distress
Often used interchangeably, but there is a distinction:
Stress: Can be perceived as a positive challenge leading to growth (eustress).
Distress: Associated with feelings of uncontrollability and negativity.
Cautionary Notes in Health Psychology
Mental state impacts physical health, yet:
Most diseases have identifiable physical causes.
Mental state can influence the speed of recovery, but cannot replace medical treatment; positive thinking alone cannot eradicate cancer cells or infections.
Ethical considerations: Avoid victim-blaming regarding health outcomes.
Stress in Daily Hassles
Smaller, everyday stressors can lead to significant stress over an extended period.
Examples include:
Work-related problems
Noise
Continuous frustrations from:
Poverty
Powerlessness
Low social status
Ongoing interpersonal conflicts
These daily hassles are often overlooked in terms of their importance.
Daily Hassles & Stress Scale
This scale assesses the degree of various daily hassles experienced over the past month:
Examples of items on the scale include:
Disliking daily activities
Lack of privacy
Conflicts with friends/family
Overlooked contributions
Insufficient leisure time
Financial difficulties
Rating system:
1 = not at all part of my life
2 = only slightly part of my life
3 = distinctly part of my life
4 = very much part of my life
Major Life Stressors
Individuals are more likely to seek assistance for major life events than for daily hassles.
Types of significant life events include:
Bereavement and loss
Recent immigration
Physical attacks
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Both negative and positive major life changes can be stressful.
Stress and Major Life Events—Statistics
The following events are associated with stress and their corresponding Life Change Units (LCUs):
Death of a close family member: 100 LCUs
Severe personal illness or injury: 53 LCUs
Marriage: 50 LCUs
Starting or finishing university: 63 LCUs
Pregnancy (either personal or through partner): 60 LCUs
Jail term: 80 LCUs
Interpersonal problems: 45 LCUs
Financial difficulties: 40 LCUs
Physiology of Stress: General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)
GAS refers to the physiological responses to stressors, comprising three stages:
Alarm Phase
The body mobilizes the sympathetic nervous system in response to an immediate threat.
Adrenal hormones are released, correlating with the fight-or-flight response.
Resistance Phase
The body attempts to resist or cope with an unavoidable stressor.
Physiological alarm responses continue, but may be ineffective over time.
Exhaustion Phase
Prolonged stress depletes bodily energy resources.
This stage increases vulnerability to physical health problems and illness.
Stress-Illness Mystery
The effects of stress vary among individuals due to three main factors:
Physiological Differences
Individual responses may differ in cardiovascular, endocrine, immune systems, etc.
Psychological Factors
Involves personal attitudes, emotions, and perceptions regarding events.
Behavioral Responses
Actions taken in response to stress can either increase or decrease illness risk.
Attitudinal Effects on Health
Optimism: General expectation that positive outcomes will occur despite setbacks.
Characteristics of optimists include:
Proactive problem-solving
Perseverance
Maintaining a sense of humor
Research indicates that optimists exhibit better health outcomes compared to pessimists:
Quicker recovery from physical illness
Delayed onset of physical disease
Increased longevity and lower physiological responses to stress
Locus of Control
Definition: A psychological construct that assesses whether individuals believe they can control the outcomes of their lives.
Internal Locus of Control:
Individuals feel personal agency over their actions and outcomes.
More likely to engage in healthy behaviors and illness prevention strategies.
External Locus of Control:
Individuals perceive a lack of control over their life outcomes.
Having an internal locus of control can mitigate negative health effects of stress:
Lower incidence of colds when exposed to viruses.
Internal Locus of Control: Notable Experiment
Population studied: Residents in long-term care facilities.
Why this population? Their fragile health makes them susceptible to psychological influences.
Independent Variable: Type of locus of control manipulated by assigning residents to different caregiving setups:
Residents determined social events vs staff determined social events.
Findings:
Residents in resident-determined environments were:
More alert
Happier
Longer-lived over a five-year period.
Psychological Hardiness
Definition of a psychologically hardy person:
Demonstrates a sense of commitment and clear goals.
Feels in control of life situations.
Interprets problems as challenges rather than threats.
Individuals with high psychological hardiness tend to have better health outcomes.
Other Predictors of Better Health
Engaging in helping behaviors toward others in need.
Confession and emotional expression.
Practicing forgiveness as a health strategy.
Coping with Stress
Coping: The process of actively trying to manage stress through various methods.
Strategies include:
Cooling off
Problem-solving
Reappraisal, learning from experiences, and making comparisons to others.
Cooling Off Strategies
The most immediate stress management strategy is calming down and reducing physiological arousal:
Techniques include:
Progressive relaxation: Alternating tension and relaxation of muscles from toes to head.
Massage therapy is related but more therapeutic.
Caution: Psychological suppression of negative emotions can negatively affect health, leading to reduced white blood cells.
Problem Solving Techniques
Emotion-Focused Coping: Concentrating on emotions caused by the problem, such as anger, anxiety, or grief, to deal with feelings.
Problem-Focused Coping: Directly addressing and attempting to resolve the stress-inducing problem itself.
Coping strategies often evolve from emotion-focused to problem-focused over time.
Example of Coping Strategies
Test results are unsatisfactory.
Emotion-focused response: Vent anger or cry about the sadness.
Problem-focused response: Focus on controlling feelings, analyzing what went wrong, understanding how to fix mistakes, and planning to study consistently rather than cramming at term end.
Reappraisal of Stressors
Reappraisal: The technique of rethinking stressors to alter their perceived significance.
Changing the importance of the stressor can provide different perspectives and reduce stress.
The idea of a "silver lining" and learning from adversities.
Making downward social comparisons can also help individuals feel better by comparing themselves to those worse off.
Example of Reappraisal
Unsatisfactory test results can be reframed:
Long-term perspective: Attaining a degree, acquiring insights despite grades.
Short-term perspective: Recognizing limited significance of one test; an opportunity to identify mistakes.
Acknowledgment of peers who may have performed worse or who cannot attend university.
Longevity Research
Studies of centenarians revealed crucial lifestyle factors:
Balanced diets and regular exercise.
Key personality traits: Independent, assertive, sociable, effective stress managers.
Importance of strong social support networks.
Blue Zones: Regions where people live longer, characterized by specific lifestyle factors known as Power 9:
Natural daily physical activity integrated into lifestyle.
Knowing one's purpose in life.
Reducing stress through slower living and vacationing.
Eating habits: Consuming food until 80% full; more plant-based foods and less processed foods.
Moderate alcohol consumption, particularly red wine.
Cultivating a healthy social network.
Engaging with community or religion.
Prioritizing family connections.