1. © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved Slide 1 Stress and Health 13

2. © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved Slide 2 Stress: Challenges to Coping Sources of stress –Life events Crime, sexual assault, and violence Loss of a family member Natural disasters Terrorism Daily hassles Strong link between stressful life events and physical illness Stress and Health

3. © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved Slide 3 Social Readjustment Rating Scale Event M value Event M value Death of spouse100 Child leaves home29 Divorce73 In-law trouble29 Marital separation65 Begin/end school26 Jail term63 Spouse begins work26 Marriage50 Trouble with boss23 Fired at work47 Work changes20 Retirement45 Change in schools20 Pregnancy40 Sleep habit change16 Sex difficulties39 Vacation13 Loan foreclosure31 Christmas12

4. © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved Slide 4 Percent of seriously depressed widows and widowers Number of months since death of a spouse 13 months2 months7 months 10 20 300 Not widowed Widowed The death of a spouse is a severe stressor leading to serious depression

5. © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved Slide 5 Stress Frustration –When serious or prolonged, becomes major source of stress Conflict –Two or more motives cannot be satisfied because they interfere with one another Approach-approach conflict Avoidance-avoidance conflict Approach-avoidance conflict Multiple approach-avoidance conflict Stress and Health

6. © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved Slide 6 Strong Strength of motive to approach or avoid Near Weak Far Distance from goal Approach gradient Avoidance gradient Approach-avoidance conflict

7. © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved Slide 7 Jump sequence 5 10 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 0 15 2 Conductance in microohms 345678910111214113 Control day Reaching airport Pre-checkout In aircraft Taxi, begin Taxi, end Engine warmup, begin Engine warmup, end Takeoff Midpoint altitude Landing Airborne 1,000 feet Final altitude Approach-avoidance conflict of jumping

8. © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved Slide 8 Stress Pressure –Arises from threats of negative events Environmental conditions –Aspects like temperature, air pollution, noise, and humidity can be sources of stress –Visits for psychological problems were higher during days of high air pollution –More emergency visits for depression during cloudy, humid days Stress and Health

9. © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved Slide 9 General Aspects of Stress Reactions People feel stress and react to it –React to stress as a whole – both psychological and physiological reactions –Psychological and bodily reactions to stress are highly similar Stress and Health

10. © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved Slide 10 Cortisol Hypothalamus Pituitary Heart Liver Adrenal gland Sympathetic outflow Epinophrine Norepinophrine Stress and the body’s response: Flight or fight?

11. © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved Slide 11 General Aspects of Stress Reactions Physical reactions –General Adaptation Syndrome Alarm reaction Resistance stage Exhaustion stage –Healthy and unhealthy aspects of GAS Stress and Health Psychological reactions –Changes in emotions, motivations, cognitions –Anxiety –Depression –Anger, irritability –Change in appetite and interest for sex

12. © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved Slide 12 Exhaustion stage Resistance to stress Resistance stageAlarm reaction First stress reaction Normal level Second stress reaction Changes in resistance during the three stages of general adaptation syndrome

13. © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved Slide 13 Stress Stress, depression, the GAS, and immune system –Immune system –Stress and depression reduce effectiveness of immune system –As one ages, effects of stress are stronger –Psychological treatments such as stress management can restore immune system –High levels of depression common when undergoing stress Stress and Health

14. © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved Slide 14 Factors Influencing Reactions to Stress Prior experience with stress Developmental factors –Impact of stress and age when occurring linked Predictability and control –Usually events less stressful when predictable due to perception of having some control –Lack of perceived control has significant health consequences and ill effects Stress and Health

15. © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved Slide 15 Social Support Social support acts as buffer against stress –Persons with good social support are less likely to react to negative life events with depression, anxiety, and health problems –Ability to get it off your chest is therapeutic (being ill less often) BUT there are risks associated with this behavior (revealing one’s personal information to others) Stress and Health

16. © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved Slide 16 Personal Factors in Reactions to Stress Cognitive factors –Perceptions: people think and interpret things differently Personality characteristics –Important influence on health consequences –Type A personality Associated (indirectly linked) with increased risk of coronary heart disease Psychotherapy can reduce hostility Stress and Health

17. © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved Slide 17 Type A Personality Highly competitive, hard-driving; ambitious in work, sports, and games Works hurriedly, rushing with sense of urgency, multitasks Workaholic, no time off Perfectionist and demanding Speaks loud or explosively; often hostile, aggressive, angry with others Stress and Health

18. © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved Slide 18 Personal Factors in Reactions to Stress Gender differences –Women more likely to have lasting reactions to traumatic events; at more risk for exposure –Marriage and committed relationships have health benefits Social buffer against stress Live healthier, longer lives on average Loss of spouse affects men more Maybe marriage is choice of healthier people Stress and Health

19. © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved Slide 19 Personal Factors in Reactions to Stress Gender differences –Fight-or-flight important to both sexes –Men more likely to use fight-or-flight response –Women more likely to tend-and-befriend Creates alliances for future if reoccurrence Average response to workplace stress –Mothers more nurturing to children –Fathers more grouchy or withdrawn Stress and Health

20. © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved Slide 20 Personal Factors in Reactions to Stress Ethnic differences –Minority groups experience more stress Few advantages and opportunities Stressful interactions with majority culture due to stereotypes, discrimination, prejudice Rapid acculturation of immigrant children clash with family pressures to maintain old culture (ie: language, customs) Stress and Health

21. © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved Slide 21 Coping with Stress Effective coping –Removing stress – make changes –Cognitive coping with reappraisal –Managing stress reactions Ineffective coping –Withdrawal –Aggression –Self-medication –Defense mechanisms Stress and Health

22. © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved Slide 22 Defense Mechanisms –Projection –Regression –Rationalization –Repression –Denial Stress and Health –Displacement –Sublimination –Reaction formation –Intellectualization and distortion of reality

23. © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved Slide 23 Changing Health Patterns Learning to relax –Progressive relaxation training Eating right, exercising, and following doctor’s orders –Improve eating habits Diets and balanced meals –Regular aerobic exercises – keep fit –Medical compliance – prescribed medications Stress and Health

24. © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved Slide 24 Human Diversity Psychology and women’s health –Health concerns –Changes in high-risk behavior –Different equation between health behaviors and illnesses Avoid smoking, excessive alcohol, obesity, STDs, fatty diets Employment differences for women –Other sociocultural factors Ethnicity, sexual orientation, reproduction Stress and Health

25. © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved Slide 25 Safety Management Prevention –Disease and illness –Accidents; major cause of disability and death Be alert, cautious Use seat belts in vehicles Don’t drink and drive Workplace safety and training –Use of safety equipment Stress and Health

26. © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved Slide 26 Benefits of Health Psychology Positive health practices –Moderate or no use of alcohol –Sleep 7 to 8 hours per night –Never or rarely eating between meals –Being near or at ideal weight for your height –Regular physical exercise –Never smoking cigarettes –Eating breakfast almost every day Stress and Health

27. © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved Slide 27 Percent of deaths during 5½ years 75+Under 5555 - 74 25 Age in years 50 75 100 0 6-7 Positive health behaviors 0-3 Positive health behaviors 4-5 Positive health behaviors Positive Health Practices in Females

28. © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved Slide 28 Positive Health Practices in Males Percent of deaths during 5½ years 75+Under 5555 - 74 25 Age in years 50 75 100 0 6-7 Positive health behaviors 0-3 Positive health behaviors 4-5 Positive health behaviors

29. © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved Slide 29 The End 13 Stress and Health