Stress & Coping

Stress: the subjective nature of stress, Lazarus & Folkman’s transaction model of stress in terms of primary and secondary appraisal. 

Defining stress

• A person’s response to events that threaten (or are perceived to threaten) or challenges one’s ability to cope

• Even pleasant events can evoke stress

  • E.g. moving, marriage, surprise parties, starting a new job 

• Daily life involves a series of repeated sequences of perceiving a threat, considering ways to cope with it , and ultimately adapting to the threat, with greater or lesser success 

• An attempt to overcome stress has impacts

Lazarus & Folkman Stress model

Stress is a subjective experience: the same stressors works differently on others, which in turn relates to how we appraise the stress.

Two processes

1. Primary appraisal: is this event relevant to me, is it significant, and threatening

2. Secondary appraisal: Can I deal with this event, do I have the resources to cope

Types of stressors (cataclysmic events, personal stressors, daily hassles) and their impact on health.

1. Cataclysmic: strong stressors that occur suddenly and typically affect many people simulation: like pandemic (COVID), disasters, terrorist attacks. This affects a lot of people

2. Personal stressors: major life events that produce an immediate major reaction that usually tapers off, death of a loved one, a relationship. Hard at the start, but gets better

3. Background stressors: daily hassles which may not be deemed as stress (minor irritation), but background stressors being being continued or compounded with other events, have long-term stress. For instance, work, traffic, etc.

Cataclysmic events product less stress in the long term

• Clear end point, for instance, the ending of a terroristic event or natural disaster

• The stress of these events are shared with others, the social support buffers some of the stress derived from the event

• Once the disaster ends, people can look to the future knowing the worst is behind them 

Background stressors: Minor irritations of life that we all face repeatly

• Rarely thought of as significant sources of stress

• Other back stressors are long-term chronic problems

  • Long term dissatisfaction with school/work

  • Being in an unhappy relationship

  • Living in crowded space without privacy (privacy is important) 
    

PTSD after traumatic events and Bonnano’s new research on the resilience trajectory.

PTSD: When survivors of major catastrophes or stand personal stressors feel long-lasting effects

• Reliving of a traumatic event 

• Can be triggered by sounds or smells

• Symptoms include re-experiencing the events in flashback or dreams, emotional numbing, sleeping difficulty, problem relating to other people, drugs and suicide 

PTSD is a rare diagnosis:  most people believe people will experience PTSD following traumatic experiences

• The worst the trauma, the high likelihood of ptsd is not true

Those who responded with resilience after the attacks of 9/11 reported no PTSD

Daily uplifts and their impact on stress/health.

Uplifts: minor positive events that make oneself feel good/uplifted: frequency of this may protect psychological health

Greater number of uplifts result in fewer negative psychological symptoms

Compliments from a friend or partner

• Random change with a store employee

• A great meal

• Accomplishing a goal

• Seeing results for your hard work

How stress affects our body and psychologically (see my slides, textbook, and videos on eclass

Adrenal gland releases stress hormones: cortisol, epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine 

• These increase blood pressure

• Cortisol can coat the blood vessels, chorsetal plaque

  • Increases chance of heart attack/stroke

• Stress causes brain to not be harmous with the rest of body; like the gut bacteria changing causing IBS or GERD

• Shortening of telomeres (ends of chromosomes) resulting in lower life expectancy (cell age quicker)

• Acne, hair loss, sexual dysfunction, headache, muscle tension

Selye’s general adaptation syndrome (GAS) - be able to identify what stage a person is at from scenarios

The different stressors led to the same physiological responses, achieved through stressing animals in a lab

• Alarm and mobilization: when we become aware of the stress, autonomic nervous system is  is activated, stress hormones

• Resistance: if stress continues, our body adapts to and finds ways to cope with the stressor, using physiological changes to stabilize

• Exhaustion: if stress is problematic or chronic, ability to cope with stress is depleted: lead to disease of adaptations: diabetes, heart disease, sleep is a mild example

Psychological effects: Type A personality and health, relationship to the course of cancer

The A’s and B’s of Coronary Heart Disease

• Type A behaviour: driven such as being competitive, time urgent, and being driven 

• Type B: characterised by being cooperative, patent, non competitive, and non-aggressive

• Type D (distressed): characterized by insecurity, anxiety, and a negative outlook 

• People are not pure type A or B, but a combo of both. 

  • Change of Coronary Heart Disease: 

  • Type A: High

  • Type B: Low

  • Type D: Very high, 

Type A pattern of behaviour and heart disease is hostility (focus on hostility for test)

Coping: what is it, what are the types of coping people use and their impacts, impact of exercise and meditation on stress and health.

Coping: efforts to control, reduce, or tolerate threats that lead to stress

• We habitually use certain coping responses to deal with stress

• Most of the time, we are not aware of it

When we typically encounter stress, we resort to negative coping strategies like eating unhealthy foods, substance abuse

Emotion focused coping: attempting to change the way we feel about perceive a problem

• For instance, feeling good about an exam instead of being nervous about it 

Problem-focused coping: attempting to modify the problem or source of stress itself

• For instance, bad marks bringing stress, so you study harder to get better grades so you do not get stressed from bad marks

Meditation and Stress

• Reduction in stress hormones and inflammatory response

• Reduction in anxiety, depression

• Increase in positive emotions, gratitude, empathy

• Improves quality of sleep

• Greater self-awareness, insight, sense of self-efficacy

• Increase memory attention span, less mind wandering 

Social support: relation with others are a major buffer against stress

• Enables us to experience lower levels of stress an be better able cope

  • This is due to us feeling valued, heard, seen

• Connections with other provide information and advice about appropriate ways of dealing with stress (informational support)

  • For instance, people answering a question which resolves a stressor

• People who are part of a social support network can provide goods and services

Maladaptive Coping Strategies (not good strategies) 

Avoidant coping: cope with stress by avoiding them

• Self medication (Alcohol increases stress hormones, Junk Food)

• Sleeping

• Procrastination

Defense mechanism: unconscious strategies to reduce anxiety by concealing the source from oneself and others 

• This includes repression, projection, displacement and emotional isolation

• Does not deal with reality, just hides the problem temporary 

Mediation and Exercise