Stress, Health, and Well-Being Chapter 10 Samuel R. Mathews

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Stress, Health, and Well-Being Chapter 10

• Samuel R. Mathews, Ph.D.
• Department of Psychology
• The University of West Florida

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Stress

• a special case of emotional response
• typically a response to some perceived threat or
  situation that leads to discomfort
• our bodys and minds attempt to adapt and
  survive (pg. 396)

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Stressors, and Stress Response

• Stressorthe stimulus that induces stress
• Stress Response
• our physiological,
• psychological, and
• behavioral response to the stressor

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Stress Models

• Stressor? Physiological Response?
• Physiological Response? Subjective Feelings?
• Subjective Feelings? Behavior
• Similar to emotional response but generally seen
  to be negative and to require some coping
  strategy

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Model for Stress Response (pg. 395)

• Cognitive appraisal can occur for
• the stressor,
• the physiological response
• subjective feelings, or
• not at all

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Primitive stressors and stress response

• Stressors associated with threats to our survival
  (Maslows Physiological level).
• Frequently engages the fast response cycle ala
  emotions
• Physiological reactions to threats less related
  to survival are similar to responses to
  survival-related stressors.

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Traumatic Stressors

• typically threats or perceived threats to
  survival (e.g. 9/11 Ivan/Katrina/Dennis) (pg.
  399)
• Psychic numbnessshock, confusion, lack of
  understanding of events
• Automatic actionresponses for which the
  individual is largely unaware least adaptive
  outcomes associated with lack of preparation

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Traumatic Stressors

• Communal effortformation of coalitions for
  action and resources pride in accomplishments
  can use resources in less than optimal ways
  without positive out comes loss of hope can occur
• Letdownas experience of disaster wanes, public
  interest drops and sense of isolation and
  abandonment can ensue
• Recoverysurvivors adapt to changes survivors
  come to terms with changes in natural and human
  environments

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Traumatic Stressors

• Vicarious Traumaexposure to traumatic events
  second-hand through media can lead to stressors
  can yield PTSD responses (Roetzer Walch, 2005)
• Loss as a stressor
• Death of a spouseamong most stressful events
  resolution of loss and integration of the event
  in ongoing live tend to be most adaptive
• Abandonment/humiliationdivorce, other loss of
  status can lead to depression due to self-doubts
  that emerge

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Traumatic Stressors

• Post Traumatic Stress Disorderre-experiencing
  the mental and physical events and response to a
  traumatic stressor (pg. 403)
• Hypervigilance
• Vivid nightmares
• Exaggerated startle reaction

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Chronic Stressors

• Societal stressors (racism, sexism, etc.)
• Burnout (workplace stressors)
• Compassion fatigue (helping professions overcome
  with level of involvement and resource
  requirements)

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Chronic Stressors

• Daily hassles (blocking some daily goal)
• Most frequent type of stressor
• May appear minor but can build
• Require Positive Coping in the form of
• optimism,
• reinterpretation of stressor,
• humor in retrospect, and
• realistic appraisal

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General Adaptation Syndrome (pg. 415)

• alarm reactionincrease in adrenal hormones
  resulting in physiological reactions,
• If stressor is removed, the body returns to
  prealarm state
• if stressor continues over time the next stage is
  reached

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General Adaptation Syndrome (pg. 415)

• resistance or adaptation. the body responds to
  long term stressors by
• continuing to secrete hormones to increase blood
  sugar levels to sustain energy and raise blood
  pressure
• reducing the effectiveness of the immune system
  making the individual more susceptible to disease
  
• becoming, fatigued, experiencing concentration
  lapses, irritability and lethargy as the negative
  stress increases

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General Adaptation Syndrome (pg. 415)

• exhaustionhere the body has depleted its reserve
  of energy and reduced its immune systems
  effectiveness physical and psychological
  resources are reduced and can lead to exhaustion,
  illness, etc.,

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Individual differences in Stress

• Type Afocused on perfection, competitive
  endeavors, order, speed
• Outcomes tend to be stress-related problems with
  illness cardiovascular events
• Type Bfocused on a more relaxed approach can be
  as productive
• Outcomes not linked to significant likelihood for
  illness and cardiovascular events

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Individual differences in Stress

• Learned Helplessness
• tendency to respond to threats with inaction
• neither flight nor fight ensues
• results from repeated failure to accomplish
  desired outcome regardless of perceived effort
• Resolution based on
• Mastery experience
• Relevant role models

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Positive resolution to stressors

• Cognitive Hardiness (interpretation of stressful
  situation)
• Perceive stressful situation as Challenge rather
  than threat
• Commitment to solving problems and managing
  stressors in an adaptive way
• Control perceive themselves as being in control
  of their own outcomes (internal locus of
  control)

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Positive resolution to stressors

• Resilience (response to stressful situation and
  personal resources)
• Gain sense of control over situation
• Effective social support and interactions
• Realistic goals
• Focus on learning from outcomes (pos neg)
• Experiencing positive social and emotional
  relations with others
• Feeling of uniqueness and special (pg. 424).

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Coping Strategies

• Emotion-focused Coping managing emotional state
  associated with the stressor
• Positive strategies breath control, refocusing
  on positive aspects, positive imagery
• Negative strategies anger responses, retaliatory
  responses, substance abuse, withdrawal or
  isolation

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Coping Strategies

• Problem-focused Coping identifying elements of
  the stressful situation and applying
  problem-solving steps/strategies
• analysis
• monitoring
• adjusting strategies
• typically positive

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Coping Strategies

• Social support network
• Optimistic style of thinking
• Cognitive restructuring
• Conduct analysis of the stressor (why is it
  stressful?)
• Identify those areas over which you have control
• Identify strategies for control
• Reduce the complexity of a task (use problem
  solving strategies)