1. Stress, Health & Adjustment
Examine the relationship between psychological factors and physical illness.
Health Psychology
Stress
Health Problems
Coping with Stress

2. Stress, Health & Adjustment
“If you haven’t got your health, you haven’t got anything.”
Can you name the Movie?
Internet Listening & Viewing:
Radio Lab (
Season One: “Stress” (excellent!)
Learning Objectives:
General information about stress
Role of Irrational Beliefs
Effects of Stress on the body

3. Types of Stress Health Psychology: What Health Psychologists study.
Stress, Eustress
Sources of Stress:
Daily Hassles (negative)
Uplifts (pleasant)
Life Changes (Holmes & Rahe)
Stress & Diversity: Acculturative Stress

4. Stress & Health Conflict: feelings produced by being in conflict.
Being torn in different directions by opposing motives.
Four Types Of Conflict
Approach - Approach resolved by making a decision
Avoidance - Avoidance more stressful
Approach - Avoidance a matter of perspective
Multiple Approach - Avoidance

5. Irrational Beliefs: Albert Ellis
Thinking about the event, and the event itself.
“Doorway to distress” (perfectionism)
The “A-B-C” Model
A: Activating event (losing a job)
B: Beliefs (job as self-identity)
“Catastrophize”
C: Consequence (misery)

6. Stress & Health Type “A” Personality!!!! Type B Personality
Behaviors: time urgency, competitiveness, and hostility.
Characteristics
Type B Personality
Behaviors: focus on quality of life, less ambitious, less impatient, tend to pace themselves.

7. The Type A Personality!!!! Characteristics:
Highly driven, impatient, aggressive!!!
Always under pressure.
Demand continual self improvement!!!!
Irrational Beliefs-always perfectly competent!!!!

8. Psychological Moderators
Self-efficacy expectations.
Psychological hardiness.
Sense of humor.
Predictability / control.
Social support.

9. General Adaptation Syndrome (Hans Selye)
Stress & the Body
General Adaptation Syndrome (Hans Selye)
Stage 1: Alarm Reaction (Sympathetic Nervous System)
Stage 2: Resistance (adaptation)
Stage 3: Exhaustion (weakened resistance)

10. Stress & Immune System Stress suppresses immune system.
Leukocytes & inflammation
Stress stimulates steroids,
Steroids suppress immune system,
Suppression interferes with antibodies,
Increases vulnerability to illness.

11. Stress & Health Mutlifactorial approach to health. Ethnicity & health
There’s no single, simple answer.
Ethnicity & health
Gender & health
Health & Socioeconomic status

12. Health Problems Headaches Coronary heart disease Cancer
Tension, Migraines
Coronary heart disease
The #1 killer
Risk factors
Cancer

13. Coping With Stress Controlling Irrational Thoughts 4 Steps:
Develop Awareness of thoughts
Evaluate accuracy of thoughts
Prepare incompatible thoughts
Reward yourself.