Stress, Health, and Well-Being Chapter 10

Samuel R. Mathews, Ph.D.

Department of Psychology

The University of West Florida

Stress

• a special case of emotional response

• typically a response to some perceived threat or situation that leads to discomfort

• our body’s and mind’s attempt to adapt and survive (pg. 396)

Stressors, and Stress Response

• Stressor—the stimulus that induces stress

• Stress Response– our physiological, – psychological, and – behavioral response to the stressor

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

Model for Stress Response (pg. 395)• Cognitive appraisal can occur for:

– the stressor, – the physiological response– subjective feelings, or– not at all

Primitive stressors and stress response

• Stressors associated with threats to our survival (Maslow’s 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.

Traumatic Stressors

• typically threats or perceived threats to survival (e.g. 9/11; Ivan/Katrina/Dennis) (pg. 399)

• Psychic numbness—shock, confusion, lack of understanding of events

• Automatic action—responses for which the individual is largely unaware; least adaptive outcomes associated with lack of preparation

Traumatic Stressors

• Communal effort—formation 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

• Letdown—as experience of disaster wanes, public interest drops and sense of isolation and abandonment can ensue

• Recovery—survivors adapt to changes; survivors come to terms with changes in natural and human environments

Traumatic Stressors

o Vicarious Trauma—exposure to traumatic events second-hand through media can lead to stressors; can yield PTSD responses (Roetzer &Walch, 2005)

o Loss as a stressor• Death of a spouse—among most stressful events;

resolution of loss and integration of the event in ongoing live tend to be most adaptive;

• Abandonment/humiliation—divorce, other loss of status can lead to depression due to self-doubts that emerge

Traumatic Stressors

o Post Traumatic Stress Disorder—re-experiencing the mental and physical events and response to a traumatic stressor (pg. 403)oHypervigilanceoVivid nightmaresoExaggerated startle reaction

Chronic Stressors

• Societal stressors (racism, sexism, etc.)

• Burnout (workplace stressors)

• Compassion fatigue (helping professions overcome with level of involvement and resource requirements)

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

General Adaptation Syndrome (pg. 415)• alarm reaction—increase 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

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

General Adaptation Syndrome (pg. 415)

o exhaustion—here the body has depleted its reserve of energy and reduced its immune system’s effectiveness; physical and psychological resources are reduced and can lead to exhaustion, illness, etc.,

Individual differences in Stress

• Type A—focused on perfection, competitive endeavors, order, speed– Outcomes tend to be stress-related problems

with illness cardiovascular events

• Type B—focused on a more relaxed approach; can be as productive– Outcomes not linked to significant likelihood

for illness and cardiovascular events

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

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)

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).

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

Coping Strategies• Problem-focused Coping: identifying elements of the

stressful situation and applying problem-solving steps/strategies

– analysis– monitoring– adjusting strategies– typically positive

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)