PIPPA LUCE UNIT 21 STRESS

3 UNDERSTAND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HEALTH AND WELLBEING AND STRESS, SMOKING AND ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION

STRESS Excessive stress: causes eg emotional, environmental, work, life; personality; the need for stress; stress management techniques; stress hormones (fight or flight); analysis of effects of stress on health using data and relevant theories

STRESS Physiological response to pressure ( also cognitive, behavioural, emotional responses) Can have positive or negative side effects Triggered by ‘stressors’ Phrase “fight or flight” was put forward by Walter Cannon 1929 “A reaction to the perceived threat of our survival” 1 Hormonal reaction in response to fear Cortisol is secreted into the bloodstream as a response to stress

FIGHT OR FLIGHT SYNDROME Cortisol: glucocorticoid hormone synthesized from cholesterol by enzymes of the cytochrome P450 family in the zona fasciculata, the middle area of the adrenal cortex Cortisol is released in response to fear or stress by the adrenal glands as part of the fight-or-flight mechanism. The fight-or-flight mechanism is part of the general adaptation syndrome defined in 1936 by Canadian biochemist Hans Selye of McGill University in Montreal. He pubished his revolutionary findings in a simple seventy-four line article in Nature, in which he defined two types of "stress": eustress (good stress) and distress (bad stress).

POSITIVE IMPACT OF STRESS Positve stress known as “Eustress” Energy spurt – supports survival Improved memory function Increased immunity ( short term) Desensitization - pain Maintains homeostasis in the body Body needs to return to a normal state following stress ( i.e. return to pre-stress levels of cortisol release)

NEGATIVE IMPACT OF STRESS “Distress” Affects cognition and cognitive performance Health issues: decreased thyroid function, increase in hyperglycemia Raised blood pressure Reduced bone density / muscle mass Negative impact on immune system and inflammatory response (longer healing time) Increase in abdominal fat deposits – possibly leading to increased propensity for diabetes, heart disease, strokes

WHAT HAPPENS? Sweating - blood is diverted away from skin ( this would reduced blood loss if attack – survival instinct) Increased focus – on threat Faster breathing – more oxygen Heightened senses ( e.g. more acute attention, sight, sound)- survival Heart pumps faster – oxygenation to support healing, increase in nutrients around the body Activation of immune system ( in case of wounds) Release of analgesic hormones ( pain relief)

STRESS, ALCOHOL

THEORIES OF STRESS: SYSTEMIC STRESS Hans Seyle “defines stress as a non specific response of the body to any demand characterized by the secretion of glucocorticoids. Glucocorticoid ( gluc ose + cort ex + ster oid ) hormone derives from their role in the regulation of the metabolism of glucose, their synthesis in the adrenal cortex, and their steroidal structure. ”

STRESS RESPONSE THEORY: GAS SYNDROME 3 stages ( Fight or Flight) Alarm ( arousal, body goes into state of alert, production of catecholamines) Resistance or adaptation ( resistance of or adaptation to stressors: corticosteroids) Exhaustion ( further arousal leading to exhaustion and depletion)

GAS THEORY SEYLE

PSYCHOLOGICAL OR TRANSACTIONAL STRESS Stress management theories: Richard Lazarus and Susan Folkman 1984: stress can be thought of as resulting from an “imbalance between demands and resources” or as occurring when “pressure exceeds one's perceived ability to cope”. Stress management was developed and premised on the idea that stress is not a direct response to a stressor but rather one's resources and ability to cope mediate the stress response and are amenable to change, thus allowing stress to be controllable 2

COPING THEORIES Krohne looks at both systemic stress ( Seyle) and psychological stress ( Lazarus) Coping responses may be linked to personality (habitual traits), Also linked to social context, particularly the nature of the stressful environment ( environment – cf Lazarus) Coping usually refers to adaptive or constructive mechanisms ( e.g. Seyle) Maladaptive coping mechanisms ( non coping) is where stress levels increase

EXAMPLES OF COPING STRATEGIES Appraisal ( adaptive cognitive) – changing the way you think, e.g. denial, distancing yourself from the problem Problem focused ( adaptive =behavioural – aimed at reducing a stressor) Emotion focused – reduce own reaction towards a stressor

SMOKING RECAP Smoking: What are the health risks eg lung cancer, bronchitis, emphysema, coronary heart disease; Discuss some of the techniques and aids used to stop smoking; Analyse the effects of smoking on health using data ( including e-cigarettes and shisha) Discuss and analyse relevant theories on smoking and giving up smoking

ALCOHOL RECAP Effects of excessive alcohol consumption What are the health risks eg hypertension, liver damage, psychological and emotional problems; Research and give examples of techniques and aids to reduce alcohol consumption; analysis of alcohol consumption in different groups What is the impact of alcohol consumption on health? Use data and relevant theories.

GOVERNMENT STRATEGIES Tasks Research and make notes on: Methods and government strategies designed to manage stress; designed to reduce alcohol consumption; designed to stop smoking; Evaluate the success and / or failure plus the effect on the health of the nation with specific examples

Michael Randall '12 The Physiology of Stress: Cortisol and the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Michael Randall ' pituitary-adrenal-axishttp://dujs.dartmouth.edu/fall-2010/the-physiology-of-stress-cortisol-and-the-hypothalamic- pituitary-adrenal-axis is-public-enemy-no-1 pituitary-adrenal-axis#.Ut2N6v04mCR