Stress and Health

What Is Stress? Stimulus or Response? Or interaction? yStressor — events, pressures, or situations that place demands & trigger coping adjustments yStress reaction – How one responds to stress yStress as process – interaction between event, perception, and reaction

Stressors and reactions Four groups discussion zA. Discuss your stressors zB. How do you know when you are stressed? What are your “symptoms?”

Sources of Stress zTypes of Stressors y 1. Common hassles x School demands x Noise – residents near airports have higher BP & stress xRelationship issues x Sleep deprivation x Job stress x Etc…

Sources of Stress zStressors (continued) y 2. Major life events (e.g., ending a relationship, moves, serious illness) y 3. Catastrophes (9/11, Katrina, etc.) Increased incidence of stress-related ailments Rates of depression, anxiety, and other psychological disorders increase

How does a potential stressor lead to stress?

Perceiving Stress yMany situations are not inherently stressful… depends on interpretation: Primary appraisal — Is this stressful? Secondary appraisal — Can I handle it? (e.g., can I control it or cope with it?) yCognitive appraisals are extremely susceptible to one’s current state of mood, health, motivation

“I have had a great many troubles in my life… And most never happened…” Mark Twain Perception and stress We’ll come back to this in discussion of coping

Reactions to Stress Emotional Behavioral Cognitive Physiological

Pulse Demo 15 Seconds What happened? Physiologically Psychologically

The Physiology of Stress Walter Cannon (1929) y Fight-or-flight reaction y Outpouring of substances that prepare an organism to defend against a threat y Adaptive for our ancestors (but contributes to stress-related illnesses in modern times)

Stress Pathways epinephrine (adrenalin) and norepinephrine – which increase HR, BP, & RR HPA Axis

Measuring stress: “Overload in Working Mothers” zBCBS workers zMeasures: yUrine samples (to look for metabolites of stress hormones) yDaily mood scale zResults: feel stressed (esp w/ children at home) y High stress (low perceived control + high demand) y increased urinary neurohormones

Stress and impact on health Impact on psychological and physical health PTSD and other mental health effects Increases risk for physical illness How?

Stress and Illness 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)