Myers’ PSYCHOLOGY (7th Ed) Chapter 14 Stress and Health James A. McCubbin, PhD Clemson University Worth Publishers

Stress and Health Behavioral Medicine Health Psychology interdisciplinary field that integrates behavioral and medical knowledge and applies that knowledge to health and disease Health Psychology subfield of psychology that provides psychology’s contribution to behavioral medicine

What is Frustration? Frustration occurs when we are blocked or hindered from reaching our goal. Most frustrations are minor. They are the frustrations of daily life: busy signals, or being stuck in traffic. These frustrations are not good for us because they gradually wear us down. Each time we experience a frustration, there is a physiological response” clenched teeth or tightened muscles.

What Is Conflict? Conflict is a situation in which we have to make a choice between alternatives. For example: you want to buy 2 CD’s, but only have enough money to buy one, so you must make a choice.

Four Types of Conflict APPROACH-APPROACH CONFLICT (++) This is a conflict between two attractive alternatives. What examples can you think of?

APPROACH-AVOIDANCE CONFLICT (+-) -This is a conflict involving a situation with both good & bad features. This type of conflict can be very distressing. What examples can you think of?

Avoidance-Avoidance Conflict (--) -This is a conflict involving a choice between two unattractive alternatives. You can’t win, no matter which side you choose. What examples can you think of?

Double Approach-Avoidance Conflict (+-+-) This is a conflict involving a choice between alternatives, both of which have good & bad parts to them. This is the type of conflict that we experience most often.

All of these conflicts are quite normal. However a steady diet of conflicts, especially if you are all alone and have no support system or are feeling hopeless, can cause you to make an incorrect or a poor or no decision, which could then lead to physical & psychological illness.

WHAT IS ANXIETY? Anxiety is the feeling that something is wrong & disaster is imminent. Anxiety results when frustration builds too high or when we are unable to resolve a conflict. Severe attacks of anxiety can cause: rapid heartbeat, fatigue, chest pain, breathlessness, dizziness, fainting, headaches and feelings of doom.

Stress and Illness Stress the process by which we perceive and respond to certain events, called stressors, that we appraise as threatening or challenging

Stress is the physical pressure and strain that result from demands or changes in the environment. The term stress can refer to certain life events (stressors) or how we react to these changes in the environment (stress reactions).

Any type of change can lead to stress, even positive changes. Conflict, frustration and anxiety can all lead to stress.

Types of Stress EUSTRESS DISTRESS -Bad stress -Good stress -Any type of stress that motivates us to do something that is desirable. DISTRESS -Bad stress -Stress that is so overwhelming, that it causes us problems.

Stress and Illness Leading causes of death in the US in 1900 and 2000

Stress Appraisal Appraisal Response Stressful event (tough math test) Threat (“Yikes! This is beyond me!”) Challenge (“I’ve got to apply all I know”) Panic, freeze up Aroused, focused Appraisal Response

PHYSICAL EFFECTS OF STRESS FIGHT OR FLIGHT REACTION : is your body’s reaction to a crisis. -The body can NOT tell the difference between a psychological threat or a physiological threat and will respond the same way to danger.

The major parts of a human that respond to emotional stress are: The higher brain (the thinking part) The lower brain(controls body functions) The adrenal glands (release hormones)

Three Examples of Stress 1. Anticipation of an operation. Going out on a first date. Accepting the death of a loved one. All 3 examples involve a psychological change because all deal with mental issues and distress. In each case, the higher brain assumes that threat & danger exist and it signals the lower brain about the emergency. The lower brain secretes the stress hormone, which signals the adrenal glands to send adrenaline to the body. This causes the muscles to tense, a faster heartbeat, and liver to send out more sugar to use in case of fight or flight.

If we were to solve the problem quickly, the body would return to normal quickly. However most of our problems are abstract, rather than physical and hard to solve them, so our bodies remain in the flight or fight response condition. This eventually causes physical problems because we are running at full alert.

Pituitary hormone in the bloodstream stimulates the outer part of the adrenal gland to release the stress hormone cortisol Sympathetic nervous system releases the stress hormones epinephrine and norepinephrine from nerve endings in the inner part of the adrenal glands Thalamus Hypothalamus Pituitary gland Adrenal glands Cerebral cortex (perceives stressor)

Stressful Life Events Catastrophic Events Significant Life Changes Unpredictable, large scale events, such as: earthquakes, combat stress, floods Significant Life Changes death of a loved one, marriage or divorce, loss of job, promotion Daily Hassles The everyday annoyances, such as: rush hour traffic, long lines, job stress, burnout

Burn-out refers to being worn down from the never ending stress on the job. Certain professions are known to cause burnout. What examples can you think of? Stress becomes worse when viewed as a negative & uncontrolled. This will lead to ill health.

Stressful Life Events Chronic Stress by Age

Stressors are unavoidable Stressors are unavoidable. You can’t eliminate stress, but you can manage your reaction to stress by a) confront the stress b) handle the problem c) prevent its reoccurrence

Techniques To Reduce Stress Exercise - serves to increase levels of energy & seratonin Relaxation Develop a support system Biofeedback – is a system for electronically recording & feeding back information on your physiological state so can learn to control reactions & increase your alpha waves & lower blood pressure.

Promoting Health Biofeedback system for electronically recording, amplifying, and feeding back information regarding a subtle physiological state blood pressure muscle tension

Four Leading Causes of Illness & Death Cancer Stroke Lung Disease Heart Disease Which one is the #1 cause of death in the United States?

Stress and the Heart Coronary Heart Disease is #1 clogging of the vessels that nourish the heart muscle leading cause of death in many developed countries Physical Factors: smoking, obesity, high cholesterol and high fat diet Psychological Factors: Stress, Type A Personality, anger, depression & negative emotions

Stress and the Heart

Stress and Disease Psychophysiological Illness “mind-body” illness any stress-related physical illness some forms of hypertension some headaches distinct from hypochondriasis-- misinterpreting normal physical sensations as symptoms of a disease

Stress and the Heart Hopelessness scores Heart attack Death 3.5 3 2.5 1.5 1 0.5 Heart attack Death Low risk Moderate risk High risk Men who feel extreme hopelessness are at greater risk for heart attacks and early death

MEASURING STRESS Psychologists Thomas Holmes & Richard Rahe designed one of the first instruments to measure stress. (SRRS) or Social Readjustment Rating Scale measured stress using (LCU) or Life Change Units. A person taking the SRRS reported changes in his/her life. Different changes were assigned LCUs. Any major life change would increase the score. A person with a high score on the SRRS is more likely to have a stress related illness.

Stress and Illness Stress resistance Phase 1 Alarm reaction (mobilize resources) Phase 2 Resistance (cope with stressor) Phase 3 Exhaustion (reserves depleted) The body’s resistance to stress can last only so long before exhaustion sets in Stressor occurs General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS theory) Hans Selye’s (1956) concept of the body’s adaptive response to stress in three stages.

ALARM REACTION: The body sends out emergency signals that stir it up in preparation for an attack-whether it be physical or physiological. The heart rate increases, blood is diverted away from other bodily functions and sent to the muscles needed to react. The organism readies itself to meet the challenge through the activation of the sympathetic nervous system.

RESISTANCE The organism tries to fight back against the attack. The body remains physiologically ready. Hormones are released to maintain this state of readiness. This stage can last for weeks. If the resistance stage lasts for too long, the body can delete its resources. The parasympathetic nervous system returns our physiological state to normal. Thus if the threat is removed, the body and psyche restore themselves back to a normal chemical & emotional balance.

EXHAUSTION If the stress does not let up, continuous “fight or flight” becomes impossible. We become more vulnerable to disease, especially if our resources were depleted by an extended time in the resistance stage.

Excessive stress can contribute to both physical diseases and psychological problems. Our bodies can remain ready for a challenge so long before our resources are depleted and we are vulnerable to disease due to exhaustion.

Stress and the Heart Friedman and Rosenman did research on focusing the connection between developing stress related illnesses and personality types.

Stress and the Heart Type A Personality Type B Personality Term used for competitive, hard-driving, impatient, verbally aggressive, & anger-prone people. Competitive & Distracted, thinking of what will say next, not listening. Have high blood pressure and heart problems. Type B Personality easygoing, relaxed people, open to change, are flexible, enjoy life. Low stress levels. Non-competitive.

Managing Everyday Stress We cope with our stress in one of two ways: REGRESSIVE COPING-sleep too much, avoid or deny a problem, take it out on family & friends, adopt bad habits: drinking, smoking or doing drugs TRANSFORMATIONAL COPING-creating something good out of something bad. Admit our anger, address the problem, adjust our priorities and explore solutions.

Life-style modification patients Promoting Health Modifying Type A life-style can reduce recurrence of heart attacks Percentage of patients with recurrent heart attacks (cumulative average) 6 5 4 3 2 1 Year 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 Life-style modification patients Control patients Modifying life-style reduced recurrent

Promoting Health Aerobic Exercise Depression score 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 Before treatment evaluation After treatment No-treatment group Aerobic exercise Relaxation treatment Aerobic Exercise sustained exercise that increases heart and lung fitness

poor nutrition and sleep) Stress and Disease Negative emotions and health-related consequences Unhealthy behaviors (smoking, drinking, poor nutrition and sleep) Persistent stressors and negative emotions Release of stress hormones Heart disease Immune suppression Autonomic nervous system effects (headaches, hypertension)

Stress and Disease Lymphocytes two types of white blood cells that are part of the body’s immune system B lymphocytes form in the bone marrow and release antibodies that fight bacterial infections T lymphocytes form in the thymus and, among other duties, attack cancer cells, viruses, and foreign substances

Level of social support Life events Tendency toward Health Illness Personal appraisal Challenge Threat Personality type Easy going Nondepressed Optimistic Hostile Depressed Pessimistic Personality habits Nonsmoking Regular exercise Good nutrition Smoking Sedentary Poor nutrition Level of social support Close, enduring Lacking

Promoting Health Complementary and Alternative Medicine unproven health care treatments not taught widely in medical schools, not used in hospitals, and not usually reimbursed by insurance companies

Subfields of Alternative Medicine Alternative systems of medical practice Bioelectromagnetic applications Diet, nutrition, life-style changes Herbal medicine Manual healing Mind-body control Pharmacological and biological treatments Subfields of Alternative Medicine Health care ranging from self-care according to folk principles, to care rendered in an organized health care system based on alternative traditions or practices The study of how living organisms interact with electromagnetic (EM) fields The knowledge of how to prevent illness, maintain health, and reverse the effects of chronic disease through dietary or nutritional intervention Employing plan and plant products from folk medicine traditions for pharmacological use Using touch and manipulation with the hands as a diagnostic and therapeutic tool Exploring the mind’s capacity to affect the body, based on traditional medical systems that make use of the interconnected- ness of mind and body Drugs and vaccines not yet accepted by mainstream medicine

The Physiological Effects of Nicotine