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STRESS, LIFESTYLE, & HEALTH

INTRODUCTION TO THE SPEAKER

  • Khusbu (CUSH-boo) - Teaching Assistant (TA)
    • Holds degrees in Neuroscience and Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh.
    • Worked full-time in the Aging & Healthy Rhythms Research Lab at University of Pittsburgh.
    • Currently a first-year Ph.D. student in the Health Psychology and Clinical Science (HPCS) program at the CUNY Graduate Center.
    • Personal detail: has a cat named Orzo.

RESEARCH & STUDY FOCUS

  • At University of Pittsburgh:
    • Worked on several projects focusing on healthy lifestyle changes for older adults facing stress, including:
    • Spousal/partner grief
    • Stroke
    • Mild cognitive impairment
    • Caregiving for dementia
  • Current focus:
    • Investigating the impact of sleep behaviors on mood disorders such as anxiety and depression, along with special medical populations including menopause and endometriosis.

UNDERSTANDING STRESS

  • Have you ever experienced stress?
    • Commonly shared experience among individuals.
  • What is stress?
    • Defined as a process where an individual perceives and responds to events they appraise as overwhelming or threatening to their well-being.\n - Highlights the importance of cognitive appraisal of stressors in influencing emotional and physiological reactions.

COGNITIVE APPRAISALS OF STRESS

  • Primary Appraisal:

    • Judgement about potential harm/threat related to a stressor.
    • Threat: Stressors that could lead to harm/loss/negative consequences.
    • Challenge: Stressors that present potential for gain or personal growth.
    • Example of Challenge: Graduating from college and entering the workforce.

  • Secondary Appraisal:

    • Judgement on coping options available and perceptions of their effectiveness.
    • A threat may be perceived as less stressful if effective coping options are believed to exist.
COGNITIVE APPRAISAL MODEL
  • Visual Representation:
    • Primary Appraisal: Assess whether the stressor is a challenge or a threat.
    • If perceived as a threat:
      • Potential for loss, harm, negative consequences.
    • If perceived as a challenge:
      • Potential for gain and growth.
    • Secondary Appraisal: Assess coping options and their perceived effectiveness,
    • Options categorized as:
      • Effective and low threat, ineffective and high threat.

TYPES OF STRESS

  • Eustress:

    • Positive stress that motivates actions beneficial to one's interest.
    • Associated with optimal health, performance, and positive feelings.

  • Distress:

    • Negative stress resulting in feelings of burnout, fatigue, and performance decline.

PREVALENCE OF STRESS

  • Stress is omnipresent and influences various aspects of life.
  • Emotional and physiological responses:
    • Physiological Responses: Accelerated heart rate, headaches, gastrointestinal issues.
    • Cognitive Responses: Difficulty with concentration and decision-making.
    • Behavioral Responses: Increased alcohol consumption, smoking, or other actions to mitigate stress.

HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY

  • Defined as the subfield studying psychological influences on health and illness.
    • Explores:
    • Connection between stress and illness.
    • Reasons behind life choices ahead of health outcomes.
    • Effectiveness of interventions for changing unhealthy behaviors.
    • Identification of groups at high risk for negative health outcomes due to psychological or behavioral factors.
    • **Demographic Findings: **
    • Higher stress levels reported in women than men.
    • Increased stress prevalence among the unemployed, lower education levels, and lower income individuals.
    • Lower stress levels reported by retired individuals.

HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES ON STRESS

  • Walter Cannon (Early 20th Century): Key figure in identifying stress responses.
    • Described the fight-or-flight response: A physiological reaction initiated by perceived threats that prepare the organism to either confront or flee.
FIGHT OR FLIGHT RESPONSE
  • Triggered by adrenal glands releasing:
    • Epinephrine (Adrenaline) and Norepinephrine (Noradrenaline) leading to physiological changes in the body.

GENERAL ADAPTATION SYNDROME (GAS)

  • Defined as a biological response to stress that is nonspecific across different stressors.
  • Three stages:
    1. Alarm Reaction: Immediate reaction to a threatening situation, leading to physiological energy mobilization.
    2. Stage of Resistance: Adaptation to stressor while remaining alert, with reduced intensity in physiological reactions.
    3. Stage of Exhaustion: Overextended physiological resources leading to the inability to adapt, resulting in potential health consequences such as illness or disease.

PHYSIOLOGICAL BASIS OF STRESS

  • Sympathetic Nervous System: Activates arousal through adrenaline release during stress.
  • HPA Axis: Involves a stress response cascade:
    • Stress leads to the hypothalamus releasing corticotropin-releasing factor → Pituitary gland releases ACTH → Activates adrenal glands → Hormones released including Cortisol (stress hormone) to boost energy.
    • Chronic Stress: Elevated cortisol levels can weaken the immune system.

CATEGORIES OF STRESSORS

  • Durational Categories:
    • Chronic Stressors: Long-term events (e.g. long-term unemployment).
    • Acute Stressors: Short-term events with prolonged feelings of stress post-event (e.g. injury).

TYPES OF STRESSORS

  • Traumatic Events: Involve exposure to serious threats or injuries (e.g. military combat, natural disasters).
  • Life Events: Significant changes such as marriage or divorce.
  • Daily Hassles: Everyday irritations that lead to negative emotional states; more predictive of health outcomes than major life events.
  • High Stress Occupations: Jobs that involve high demands or unsafe conditions can cause stress (e.g., teaching, social work).
  • Close Relationships: Conflicts or lack of emotional support in relationships can be sources of stress.

STRESS AND HEALTH

  • Psychophysiological Disorders: Physical disorders caused or aggravated by stress (e.g. tension headaches, hypertension).
  • Immune System Responses: Stress can induce autoimmune diseases and immunosuppression. The study of these interactions is known as psychoneuroimmunology.

CARDIOVASCULAR DISORDERS

  • Hypertension as a key risk factor for heart disease, often linked with stressors.
    • Hypertension defined as sustained high blood pressure leading to serious health risks.
    • Negative affectivity (emotional distress traits) also connected to heart disorders.
HEART ATTACK SYMPTOMS

Males:

  • Symptoms include:
    • Lightheadedness
    • Chest pain
    • Stomach pain
    • Dizziness

Females:

  • Symptoms differ, showing:
    • Anxiety
    • Shortness of breath
    • Back and neck pain
    • Nausea and vomiting.

STRESS & ASTHMA

  • Asthma defined as a chronic condition marked by airway inflammation and narrowing leading to breathing difficulties. Stress has been linked to its development.

COPING STYLES

  • Problem-Focused Coping: Involves identifying the stressor and actively seeking solutions, preferred when the stressor is perceived as controllable.
  • Emotion-Focused Coping: Aims to alleviate negative emotions associated with stress, treating symptoms rather than causes, useful for stressors perceived as unchangeable.

CONTROL & STRESS

  • Perceived Control: Beliefs in one’s ability to influence outcomes relating to health and happiness.
    • Greater perceived control correlates with better physical health and lower stress reactivity.

LEARNED HELPLESSNESS

  • Defined as a belief of powerlessness in situations. Demonstrated through Seligman’s experiments with dogs where exposure to uncontrollable shocks led to inaction even when escape became available. This concept is linked to depression.

SOCIAL SUPPORT

  • Defined as the emotional and practical support from social networks.
    • Significant positive association with health outcomes; noted that having robust social relationships increases survival likelihood by 50%.
    • Social support is known to enhance immune function and lower blood pressure.

STRESS REDUCTION TECHNIQUES

  • Exercise: Reduces stress, enhancing resistance against stress’s adverse effects.
  • Meditation and Relaxation: Techniques aimed at decreasing sympathetic arousal and lowering blood pressure.
  • Biofeedback: A method involving electronic measurement of involuntary processes, enabling control over them.

THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS

ELEMENTS OF HAPPINESS
  • Good Life: Enriching life through skill application.
  • Pleasant Life: Enjoyment of daily pleasures.
  • Meaningful Life: Contribution towards societal good.
LIFE EVENTS & HAPPINESS
  • Graphical representation of Life Satisfaction over time with notable events like Marriage or Divorce impacting satisfaction levels.

POSITIVE EFFECT & OPTIMISM

  • Positive Affect: Positive engagement resulting in favorable health outcomes.
    • Linked with greater social connectivity and longevity.
  • Optimism: Tendency to expect favorable outcomes; recognized as a predictor of positive health results.

FLOW

  • Defined as a deeply engaging experience where the activity is rewarding in itself.
    • Characterized by intense focus, often occurring during creative or challenging tasks.
    • Such experiences contribute significantly to one’s happiness.