1. STRESSFUL LIFE EVENTS WHAT EVENTS PROVOKE THE STRESS RESPONSE?

2. CATASTROPHES o These are unpredictable, large-scale events (war, natural disasters), that nearly everyone appraises as threatening. o Rubonis & Bickman (1991) compiled data from 52 studies of catastrophic floods, hurricanes & fires; found that in a disaster’s wake, rates of psychological disorders (depression/anxiety) rose on avg 17%. o In the 4 mos. after Hurricane Katrina, NOLA experienced a tripled suicide rate

4. SIGNIFICANT LIFE CHANGES o A personal life change – the death of a loved one, loss of a job, leaving home, a marriage, a divorce… o A study by the U.S. Nat’l Academy of Sciences revealed that people recently widowed, fired, or divorced are more vulnerable to disease (Dohrenwend et. Al., 1982).

5. DAILY HASSLES o Everyday annoyances – rush hour traffic, aggravating housemates, long lines @ the store, too many things to do…may be the most significant sources of stress. o Over time, these little stressors can add up & take a toll on our health & well-being; hypertension rates are high among residents of impoverished areas where the stresses of inadequate income, unemployment, solo parenting & overcrowding are part of daily life. o Lazarus suggest that daily hassles (annoyances/frustrations/unpleasant surprises) may cause us more grief than life’s major stressful events; the impact of hassles on health depends on frequency, duration & intensity.

6. STRESS & THE HEART o Elevated blood pressure is just one of the factors that increase the risk of coronary heart disease: the closing of the vessels that nourish the heart muscle; by 1950 this became the leading cause of death in the U.S. o Many behavioral & physiological factors – smoking, obesity, inactivity & elevated cholesterol level- increase the risk of heart disease…the psychological factors of stress & personality also play a big role.

7. o In a now-classic study, Meyer Friedman & Ray Rosenman looked at 3,000+ healthy men ages 35- 59 over a span of 9 yrs. & ultimately they discovered the “Type A” & “Type B” Personalities that are directly linked to stress & heart disease/attacks…by the time the study concluded, 257 men suffered heart attacks; 69% were ‘Type A’…not one “pure” ‘Type B’ had suffered a heart attack. o Type A: Term used for competitive, hard-driving, impatient, verbally aggressive & anger-prone people; Type As’ blood may contain excess fat & cholesterol that gets deposited around the heart. o Type B: Term used for relaxed, easygoing people

10. STRESS & SUSCEPTIBILITY TO DISEASE o The term psychosomatic refers to psychologically caused physical symptoms. To layperson, it implied symptoms were unreal or “made up”. o To avoid such connotations & to better describe the genuine physiological effects of psychological states, most experts refer instead to stress-related psychophysiological illness: mind-body illness…any stress-related physical illness such as hypertension. o Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI): the study of how psychological, neural & endocrine processes together affect the immune system & resulting health.

11. PSYCHONEUROIMMUNOLOGY o Your immune Sx defends your body from bacteria, viruses & other foreign bodies.. o Includes two types of white blood cells: o Lymphocytes: o B Lymphocytes: form in the bone marrow & release antibodies that fight bacterial infections o T Lymphocytes: form in the thymus & other lymphatic tissue & attack cancer cells, viruses & other foreign bodies (even “good” ones – transplant organs) o Macrophage: “Big Eater”-identifies, pursues & ingests harmful invaders & worn-out cells o Natural Killer Cells: (NK Cells) pursue diseased cells (those infected by viruses or cancer).

12. o Age, nutrition, genetics, body temp & stress all influence the immune Sx’s activity. o Surgical wounds heal more slowly in stressed animals & humans; we are more susceptible to colds & illness when enduring prolonged stress. o Researchers have found that stress & negative emotions correlate with 1) progression from HIV to AIDS & 2) the speed of decline in those affected o Stress & negative emotions have been linked to cancer’s rate of progression; tumors grew quicker & larger