Stress America’s #1 Health Problem  43% of all adults suffer adverse health effects due to stress  75 – 90% of all visits to primary care physicians are for stress-related complaints or disorders  Stress has been linked to all the leading causes of death, including heart disease, cancer, lung ailments, accidents etc.

Stress & Health Con’t  Approximately 1 million workers are absent on an average workday because of stress related complaints.  Studies show that 60% of employee absences were due to psychological problems such as stress  Job stress is estimated to cost U.S. industry about $300 billion annually

Stress & Health Con’t  60 – 80% of industrial accidents are due to stress  9 out of 10 stress law suits are successful, with an average payout of more than 4 times that for regular injury claims  Market for stress management programs and services is about $11 billion  Stress and been linked to sexual harassment and workplace violence.

What is Stress? An adaptive response to a situation that is perceived as challenging or threatening to the person’s well-being © S. N. Pool, Houston Chronicle

GAS – the body’s response  Primarily involves the endocrine and sympathetic nervous systems When we encounter a threat to our well-being:  Alarm Stage – pituitary gland sends a chemical message in the form of a hormone ACTH to the adrenals. Person might experience tightness in the neck, slight increase in BP, increase in breathing

GAS Con’t  Resistance – adrenals react to the ACTH and initiate the resistance stage by secreting hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. These enter the bloodstream and trigger a succession of changes in the body’s chemistry that enables the person to adapt/neutralize the potential damage. The person often experiences fatigue, anxiety, and tension. Variation in resistance to different stressors.

GAS Con’t  Exhaustion – when adaptive energy is depleted, exhaustion occurs. The person can no longer resist or adapt to the stress.  As we face the demands of life everyday, the GAS is activated. The more frequently it is activated and the longer it remains active, the more wear and tear on the body.

Stage 1 Alarm Reaction Stage 2 Resistance Stage 3 Exhaustion Normal Level of Resistance General Adaptation Syndrome

Some Important Definitions  Stressor – physical or psychological demands or stimuli that produce the state of stress  Stressors can be at the individual level or interpersonal, the group level, the organization level, or environmental  Strains – an individual’s response to the demands  Strains can be psychological, physiological or behavioral

Stress WorkStressorsPhysicalenvironmentRole-relatedInterpersonalOrganizational Stressors and Stress Outcomes NonworkStressors IndividualDifferencesConsequences of Stress PhysiologicalBehavioralPsychological

Role-Related Stressors  Role conflict Interrole conflict Intrarole conflict Person-role conflict  Role ambiguity Uncertain duties, don’t know what’s expected  Workload Too much/too little work  Task control Machine pacing Monitoring equipment No work schedule control © Photodisc. With permission.

Consequences of Distress or Strains  Physiological consequences Increased BP, heart rate, cortisol, adrenaline cardiovascular diseases ulcers  Behavioral consequences work performance, accidents, decisions absenteeism -- due to sickness and flight workplace aggression, alcoholism  Psychological Consequences moodiness, depression, emotional fatigue

What Makes Some Jobs More Stressful Than Others The extent to which the job requires:  Constant decision making  Careful monitoring of devices or materials  Repeated exchange of information with others  Unpleasant working conditions  Excessive workload and there is not enough time to complete the required work

What Makes Jobs More Stressful Con’t  One to work with a lack of structure and guidance from management  Little or no control over various aspects of the job  One to work under bad management

AccountantArtist Auto Mechanic Forester Low-Stress Occupations High-Stress Occupations Hospital manager Physician (GP) Psychologist School principal Police officer Tel. operator U.S. President Waiter/waitress Stress and Occupations Medium-Stress Occupations

Individual Differences in Stress  Perceive the situation differently Self-efficacy Locus of control Personal hardiness Negative affectivity  Different threshold levels of resistance to stressor Store of energy

Individual Differences  Use Different Coping Strategies Social support Control Exercise Relaxation/Breathing

Type A / Type B Behavior Pattern  Talks rapidly  Is devoted to work  Is highly competitive  Struggles to perform several tasks  Has a strong sense of time urgency  Is impatient with idleness  Hostility/loses temper  Interrupts others  Handles details patiently  Is less competitive with others  Contemplates issues carefully  Has a low concern about time limitations  Doesn't feel guilty about relaxing  Has a relaxed approach to life  Works at a steady pace Type A Behavior Pattern Type B Behavior Pattern