1. Modules 38 & 39
Health and Stress

2. Health Psychology – studies how biological, psychological and social factors influence health, illness and treatment.
Biopsychosocial Model

3. Health Psychology
Understand the relationship between
Mind and Body
- Educate people about health risks.
Design programs to reduce
health risks and promote
healthy behaviors.

4. Epidemiological Studies
- large number of people
- Patterns (correlations) between lifestyle and health outcomes
- look for risk factors of disease.

5. Top 5 causes of Death are related to Lifestyle
choices

6. Stressors: Events or situations that are perceived as harmful, threatening, or challenging and thus trigger stress response.
Stress –play role in 50% to 70 % of all physical
illness.
Stress is a Reaction to a Stressor.

7. Is all stress bad. No. Neurological/physical response to threats
Is all stress bad? No. Neurological/physical response to threats. Motivation

8. Catastrophes:
followed by increased rates of psychological disorders such as depression and anxiety that can be long-lasting.
Attempts at quantifying the impact of stressors have proven difficult because of the very fact that different people appraise stressors in different ways, and have varying levels of resources with which to respond to the stressor. Stressors can also be interrelated. For example, the daily hassle commuting is likely more stressful to someone of a low socioeconomic status who can’t afford to be late for work and must take public transportation than someone who has flexible hours.
Some events, like catastrophes, are more universally appraised as threatening and challenging. Even some significant life changes, including positive ones such as marriage, appear to have some stress-related negative health effects for many people.
“Stress on the Job” video starts automatically on the next slide.

9. Not all Stressors are negative experiences
significant life events/changes
Not all Stressors are negative experiences
Attempts at quantifying the impact of stressors have proven difficult because of the very fact that different people appraise stressors in different ways, and have varying levels of resources with which to respond to the stressor. Stressors can also be interrelated. For example, the daily hassle commuting is likely more stressful to someone of a low socioeconomic status who can’t afford to be late for work and must take public transportation than someone who has flexible hours.
Some events, like catastrophes, are more universally appraised as threatening and challenging. Even some significant life changes, including positive ones such as marriage, appear to have some stress-related negative health effects for many people.
“Stress on the Job” video starts automatically on the next slide.
APA Learning Goal 1: Knowledge Base of Psychology

10. Measuring Stress
Social Readjustment Scale
- any change, whether negative or
positive is inherently stress producing.
not a good predictor of poor physical
or mental health.
does not take into account
subjective appraisal of the event
ability to cope
Assumes event is the same for everyone

12. Instead of asking about events we can ask about experiencing Stress

13. Daily Hassles Scale
better predictor of physical symptoms and psychological distress.
Social/cultural Stressors: poverty, low social status, discrimination

14. Conflict as a source of Stress
Approach-Approach conflict – win/win
easily resolved and not too stressful
Avoidance-Avoidance
people often to delay, thus avoiding either.
Approach-Avoidance
Vacillation
People feel stuck and experience
Stress and anxiety.

15. Physiological Stress Response
Triggered whenever your mind determines that
you are under threat. Response is the same
regardless of the type of stress!

16. Fight-or-flight response (Cannon)—rapidly occurring chain of internal physical reactions that prepare people to either fight or take flight from an immediate threat
- activates Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS)
 Heart rate, BP, release of epinephrine,
adrenaline, and endorphins.
 Digestion
Increases general arousal level
and reduces concentration.

17. Glucocortical Stress Hormones
Glucocorticoids,
Catecholamines, etc..
Muscle:
Net loss of amino
Acids (glucose)
Liver:
Fat Cells:
Heart rate:
Increased
Immune system:
Stress
Posterior
Pituitary Gland
Hypothalamus
Anterior
(-)
CRH
ACTH
Adrenals
Kidney

18. Stress and The Adrenal Glands

19. Catecholamine
epinephrine and norepinephrine
Short term elevation (20 to 60 mins)
Triggers fight or flight response
Glucocorticoids
Reduced inflammation and enhance tone of circulatory system.
In long run they weaken important systems, lower immunity and lead to illness.
Prolonged stress also linked to depression & other psychological symptoms.

20. General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)
Stage 1. Alarm
- SNS response.
- good for short term stressors, but when
prolonged . . .
Stage 2. Resistance
- prolonged period of moderate arousal
- continued high levels of hormones that elevate
blood sugars -- increase metabolism
- increase immune response

21. - prolonged metabolic increase decreases immune response.
Stage 3. Exhaustion
- prolonged metabolic increase decreases
immune response.
Immune
Response
Alarm Resistance Exhaustion

22. Student Syndrome – students more likely to get sick after exam period.
Burnout - psychological, physical and behavioral
dysfunction in response to continuous, chronic
stress.

23. Telomeres
Shortening of Telomeres
normally occurs with age.
Stress appears to increase the rate of shortening!
Stress does age people.
Presidents actually tend to
live pretty long: WHY?
Access to superior medical
care, good education, and it
takes an inherently healthy
person to endure the rigors of a presidential campaign and administration.

24. Stress and Illness
Psychosomatic illness
Psychophysiological Illness
Psychoneuroimmunology (Mind/Body)
SNS is a direct link between CNS and the physical systems of the body.

25. Stress and the Immune System
Lymphocytes – white blood cells that fight
viruses and bacteria
Lymphocytes have receptors for neurotransmitters and hormones AND they also produce these chemical messengers.

26. Problems develop when the immune system is either underactive or overactive.
Underactive - does not protect against disease.
Overactive – Immune system may attack one’s own body tissue.
Arthritis
Allergies
Autoimmune disorders

27. Woman have stronger immune systems than men
Woman have stronger immune systems than men. Also more susceptible to autoimmune disorders!

28. Personality, Stress and Illness
Type A - competitive, workaholic, impatient, quick to anger.
Type B - less competitive, easy-going, less hostile
Cynical Hostility is the most predictive Type A behavior for Heart Disease.

29. Type A individuals are more susceptible to negative effects of stress, including vulnerability to heart disease, with anger and hostility being primary factors.
Low Hostility
High Hostility

31. How Do You Deal with Stress?

32. Components of Stress Reactions
Stressors Personality
Cognitive
Appraisal
Physical
Response

33. Stress Coping Techniques
1) Assess Stressors
- reduce those you do not need.
2) Cognitive Appraisal
- Sense of Control
- Predictability - plan to cope
- time management

34. 3) Work on your reaction to Stress
Optimism!! Positive outlook
Explanatory Style
Explain failures as external (situational),
unstable (temporary) and specific.
Hardy Personality
- commitment to activities
- see their activities as worthwhile
- see potential stressors as a challenge
- sense of control

35. 4) Social Support
5) Journal Writing

36. Blunting Strategies
Exercise
Distraction
Relaxation

37. 6) Aerobic Exercise!
Moderate exercise adds
two years to your life!
Text lists many benefits – but misses one.
That physical exertion often tricks the SNS into thinking that the threat is over -- Turns off fight or flight response!

38. 7) Distraction
Taking one’s mind off problems can help when the stressor involves a waiting period (i.e., did I get the job) but if it is distracting for coping with the stress, it can make it worse!

39. The SNS is part of the autonomic system.
We do not have voluntary control over it.
We do however have indirect control.
Components of Relaxation
Control of Breathing
- changes SNS response

40. Imagery – Nervous system
responds to imagery the same
way it does to reality. Calming
thoughts and images activate
PNS turning off Fight or flight
(SNS) response.
Progressive Relaxation
- systematic tensing and relaxing of muscle groups