Chapter 15 Health, Stress, and Coping

Health Psychology Study of ways to use behavioral principles to prevent illness and promote health Unhealthy behavior leads to half of all deaths in North America

Smoking Largest preventable cause of death Single most lethal behavioral risk factor 1 in 10 smokers have long-term success in quitting

Treatment Strategies Refusal skills learning: role-play refusal/resistance to peer pressure Life skills training: practice in stress reduction, self-protection, decision- making, social skills, self-control

Stress Problem if prolonged or severe Stressor –Event that challenges or threatens a person –Unpredictable events increase stress –Pressure increases stress –Lack of control increases stress

Burnout Emotional exhaustion Fatigued, apathetic, cynical, detachment from job Common in helping professions Helped with support systems

Threatening Situations Problem-focused coping: managing or altering the distressing situation itself Emotion-focused coping: people try to control emotions or reactions to the situation These can occur together

Frustration Negative emotional state when prevented from reaching desired goals External frustration: condition outside of individual (delays, rejection, loss) Personal frustration: based on personal characteristics (too short for basketball, poor grades for med school)

Reactions to Frustration Aggression: response made with intent of harm to person or object Displaced aggression: targets are safer, less likely to retaliate (unemployment increases and so does child abuse) Scapegoating: blaming person or groups for conditions not of their making (layoffs lead to increase in violence Escape: examples: dropping out of school, using drugs

Conflict Must choose between contradictory needs, desires, motives, or demands Approach-Approach Conflict: choose between 2 positive, desirable alternatives (e.g., 2 desserts); easiest to resolve Avoidance-Avoidance Conflict: choose between 2 negative alternatives (e.g., bad job vs. unemployment) Approach-Avoidance Conflict: attracted to and repelled by same goal (e.g., marry someone your parents don’t like)

Defense Mechanisms Denial: refuse to accept (death, illness) Repression: unconsciously prevent painful thoughts from entering awareness Reaction formation: exaggerate behavior opposite to what you feel (overprotective toward unwanted child) Regression: return to earlier, less demanding situations

Defense Mechanisms Projection: see own impulses, feelings in others Rationalization: justify actions by giving false reasons for them Compensation: use against feeling of inferiority Sublimation: work off frustrated desires through socially accepted activities (channel aggression through boxing, lying through writing novels)

Learned Helplessness Seligman Acquired inability to overcome obstacle and avoid aversive stimuli Divided box, dogs learn to jump to escape shock; with warning, learn to leap to avoid shock; if prevented from escape first, don’t try to escape Model for depression: both have despondency, helplessness, powerlessness

Depression Consistent, negative opinion of self Frequent self-criticism and blame Negative interpretation of events that normally don’t bother you Future looks bleak Responsibilities feel overwhelming

Biofeedback Information given about ongoing bodily functions Leads to control of these functions Treatment for migraine

Cardiac Personality At high risk for cardiac disease Type A personality: twice as much heart disease as Type B Type A: ambitious, competitive, achievement- oriented, time urgency, Hostility strongly correlated with increased risk of heart attack, especially if it is bottled up. Helped with decrease in mistrust, decreased anger, increased consideration

Hardy Personality Resistanct to stress Sense of personal commitment to self, work, family, and other stabilizing values Feel control over their lives and the work See life as challenges rather than threats or problems