Stress

1
CHAPTER 4

• Stress

2
What is stress?

• Definition the response of individuals to
  stressors
• Stressors circumstances and events that threaten
  and tax ones ability to cope
• (Acute vs. Chronicsudden vs. long-lasting)

3
The General Adaptation Syndrome

• Hans Selye
• defined stress as the wear and tear on the body
  due to the demands placed on it
• introduced General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)
• alarm stageresources to combat stress are
  mobilized resistance to stressors peak
  (fight-or-flight response)
• resistance stageresistance to stressors are
  leveled off
• exhaustion stageresistance to stressors is used
  up

4
Richard Lazaruss Cognitive Appraisal of Stress

• Cognitive appraisaltwo-step process
• Primary appraisal
• Interpret events as harmful, threatening,
  challenging
• Secondary appraisal
• Evaluate availability of effective coping
  resources

5
Stress and the Immune System

• Psychoneuroimmunology a scientific field that
  explores connections among psychological factors,
  the nervous system, and the immune system
• Research findings
• Acute stressors can produce changes in the immune
  system.
• Chronic stressors are associated with an
  increasing downturn in responsiveness of the
  immune system
• Positive social circumstances and low stress are
  associated with increased ability to fight cancer
  and other illnesses.

6
Stress and Illness

• Cardiovascular disease
• Chronic stress is associated with hypertension
  (high blood pressure), heart disease, and early
  death.
• Cancer
• Stressors can suppress the bodys ability to
  fight off cancer.
• Negative health behaviors or a decrease in
  positive health behaviors can accompany cancer.
• The immune system can help to provide resistance
  to cancer and slow its progression if not
  compromised by stressors.

7
Mediators of Stress

• Life events and daily hassles
• Conflict
• approach/approach (two attractive stimuli)
• avoidance/avoidance (two unattractive stimuli)
• approach/avoidance (a single stimulus with both
  positive and negative characteristics)
• Overload
• burnoutphysical and emotional exhaustion (most
  often work-related)
• Personality Types/Patterns
• Type A (competitive, hard-driven, impatient,
  hostile) vs. Type B (relaxed, easygoing) behavior
  patterns
• Hardinesshelps to buffer against stress
• Catharsis (release of anger)
• Catharsis hypothesis

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Mediators of Stress (cont.)

• Work (burnout)
• Gender
• Females are more likely to respond to stress
  through tend and befriend response
  malesfight-or-flight response
• Acculturative stress (negative consequences that
  result from contact between two distinctive
  cultural groups)
• Assimilation relinquishing and blending
• Integration maintaining and blending
• Separation self-imposed withdrawal
• Segregation withdrawal imposed by society
• Marginalization disorganized and unsupported
  culture
• Poverty

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Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

• Definition a psychological disorder that
  develops through exposure to a traumatic event
  Origin--occurs when coping abilities are
  overloaded
• Symptoms (flashbacks, numbness, excessive
  arousal, memory loss, inability to sleep or
  concentrate, apprehension, impulsive outbursts)
• Associated events (war, rape, abuse,
  natural/unnatural disasters)