Chapter 16: The Healthy Mind: Stress and Coping, Health Psychology, and Positive Psychology

Stress - an unpleasant emotional state that results from the perception of danger - can be positive or negative

Stressor - The source of stress

People's stressors are highly individual and idiosyncratic

Diathesis-stress model - predicts that stress can contribute to the development of major depressive disorder (MDD), schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and other serious conditions

Walter Cannon - demonstrated the ability of a number of stressors to activate the sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system

Extreme cold, lack of oxygen, and emotional experiences - all have the capacity to initiate a fight-or-flight response

Hans Selye - extended Cannon's findings by studying the effects of stronger, longer-lasting stressors

Selye tested stressors in rats - found that the rats responded with a consistent pattern of behaviour - labelled the general adaptation syndrome (GAS)

The GAS occurs in three stages

• An alarm reaction - initiated when a stressor is first perceived and identified - same as fight or flight response

• Resistance stage - continue to experience ongoing stress - requires us to adapt and cope as well as possible

• Exhaustion stage - strength and energy drop to very low levels - can lead to death

Cognitive appraisal models help us to predict when a particular stimulus or event is likely to be a stressor for an individual person - primary appraisal and secondary appraisal

Primary appraisal - evaluate how relevant the situation is to our overall well-being - as well as whether the situation is consistent or inconsistent with our goals

Secondary appraisal - involves the evaluation of our resources and coping potential

Stress because of disasters can produce long-range and cross-generational effects. - PTSD, MDD, long term stress etc

Holmes and Rahe (1967) - compiled a list of life events that they believed might be correlated with stress - surveyed participants about the amount of adjustment that each event required

• The scales were used to predict vulnerability to physical illness and psychological disorder because of different stressors

Hassles - Relatively insignificant sources of stress can contribute to a person's overall level of stress - Ex. waiting in long lines

Sensory information is sent to the cerebral cortex to identify potentially dangerous stimuli

Once the amygdala identifies danger - it communicates with the hypothalamus, which triggers the autonomic nervous system (ANS) - the sympathetic division responsible for the fight-or-flight response

Sympathetic Adrenal-Medullary (SAM) System - Triggers the release of adrenaline and norepinephrine into the bloodstream, causing immediate responses (ex. rapid heart rate, quick breathing)

Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) Axis - The hypothalamus communicates with the pituitary gland, which signals the adrenal glands to release cortisol into the bloodstream, providing energy to cope with the stressor

High cortisol levels - can damage neurons particularly in the hippocampus

Chronic stress can inhibit neurogenesis - worsening the effects of stress on brain health

Cushing's disease - elevated cortisol levels, leads to hippocampal shrinkage, memory issues, sleep disturbances, and depression

The hippocampus - detects high cortisol levels - signals hypothalamus to reduce cortisol production - if feedback loop fails - continued cortisol release

Chronic stress can lead to further damage of the hippocampus - leads to disorders like PTSD and Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)

Fight-or-flight - often associated with male responses to stress

Tend-and-befriend - may be more typical for women - involves soothing children, forming social alliances, and protecting others

Oxytocin - a hormone linked to social bonding - released in response to stress, enhancing social support and caretaking behaviours in women

Chronic stress especially from social or environmental factors - contributes to poorer health outcomes, including immune suppression, and accelerates aging

Stress hormones - affect gene expression and brain structure, with long-term consequences for physical and mental health

HPA Axis - Chronic stress increases stress hormone responses, leading to hyperactivity of the norepinephrine system, reduced hippocampal volume, and heightened amygdala responses

Short-term stress - Can enhance immune function and boost biological systems for coping

Chronic stress - Suppresses immune system function, making the body more vulnerable to infections and diseases

Stress can stiffen blood vessel - increasing the risk of heart attacks - especially in people with pre-existing conditions like high blood pressure

Stress affects mood, sleep, health, and appetite - leading to negative impacts on health

Viktor Frankl’s Tragic Optimism - tragic optimism encourages finding ways to cope with challenges with courage and responsibility rather than asking "why me?"

Coping with stress involves using effective strategies such as controlling stressors, maintaining good health habits, exercising, and engaging in mindfulness

Social support and a sense of control are key factors in reducing stress, while poor social networks and lack of resources, especially in poverty, can exacerbate stress and mental health issues

Having a pet can also provide benefits to your health - can help with high blood pressure

Having religious beliefs helps them cope with stress

Coping with a stressor can take three forms - problem-focused, emotion-focused, and relationship-focused coping

• Problem-focused coping - designed to address an issue head-on

• Negative problem-focused coping - can include escape and avoidance

• Emotion-focused coping - helps you deal with the negative emotions associated with a stressor

World Health Organization (WHO) - stated that physical health is important to improve mental health

Behaviours that contribute to our major causes of death - smoking, alcohol use, poor nutrition, lack of exercise, and loneliness, which are discussed in more detail in the following sections

Tobacco use remains a major public health issue - severe health consequences including increased risk of diseases and premature death

Adolescents and those with mental health struggles are particularly vulnerable to tobacco use - social support and self-tailored cessation programs can help

Proper nutrition is essential for brain development and overall health

Being underweight or obese is linked to various chronic conditions, including heart disease, stroke, and cancer

Exercise improves mood and cognitive function - regular exercise increases oxygen delivery to the brain, boosts neurogenesis, and enhances hippocampal function

Loneliness can lead to decreased impulse control, increased inflammation, and other long-term health consequences

Positive psychology - pioneered by Martin Seligman - emphasizes studying positive experiences like happiness, gratitude, love, and hope, which contribute to well-being

Humanistic psychology and cognitive-behavioral psychology - laid the foundation for positive psychology

Seligman’s learned optimism - suggests that optimism can be learned, just as helplessness can be unlearned

Hedonic Approach - Focuses on obtaining pleasure and avoiding pain

Eudaimonic Approach - Focuses on meaningfulness and self-realization

Transience of Happiness - Happiness is often fleeting and relative - it changes based on circumstances

Happiness Set Point - Research suggests we have a genetic "set point" for happiness - life experiences can temporarily raise or lower happiness from this point

Close relationships with family, friends, and romantic partners are central to happiness and meaningful life

Heritability - Some people experience more pleasure from activities than others

Habituation - Pleasurable experiences tend to lose their impact over time (ex. food, material items)

To improve happiness from the good life - identify strengths and incorporate them into work and hobbies

Flow - A state of deep engagement in an activity (work, creativity) where time seems to stand still

Traits Contributing to Well-Being - Hope, Resilience, Spirituality

Values - Enduring beliefs about preferable modes of conduct or goals

Virtue Correlation - People with higher value scores tend to have better self-esteem, lower violence, and fewer addictions, anxiety, and depression

Positive Institutions - places that foster well-being like workplaces and schools - have an emphasis on clear goals, fairness, reciprocity, respect, and safety

Job - Focused on supporting family - without seeking fulfillment from work

Career - Provides status and achievement - fulfilling more personal and professional needs

Calling - Combines personal achievement with contributing to the community - less concerned with money and status

Positive Workplaces - A workplace that helps individuals achieve personal goals leads to greater satisfaction and well-being

Positive Schools - Schools that promote growth and satisfaction in students lead to positive outcomes like higher grades and fewer behavioural problems

Family-Centered Positive Psychology (FCPP) - Focuses on strengths of families rather than their weaknesses, aiming to improve family dynamics and overall satisfaction