Ch. 14

Chapter 14: Stress and Health

Overview

This chapter explores the concept of stress, its sources, physiological and psychological effects, and strategies for regulation and coping. Understanding stress is essential for maintaining health and well-being, as chronic stress can have significant impacts on both physical and mental health.

What Is Stress?

Definition and Nature of Stress

• Stress is a physiological and psychological response to conditions that threaten or challenge an individual.

• It involves physical, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral responses.

• Stress is often hard to define but easy to identify through its effects on the body and mind.

Example: Feeling anxious before an exam is a common stress response, involving increased heart rate, shallow breathing, and worry.

Stress Trends

Demographic Differences in Stress

• Stress levels vary by sex, age, race, education, employment status, and income.

• Trends show that certain groups (e.g., younger adults, unemployed individuals, lower income) report higher mean stress scores.

Example: Millennials and Gen X report higher stress levels compared to Boomers and Silents.

Bodily Reactions to Stress

Autonomic Nervous System and Fight-or-Flight

• The Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) regulates involuntary bodily functions during stress.

• The Sympathetic Nervous System triggers the fight-or-flight response, preparing the body to confront or escape threats.

• Physical changes include increased heart rate, muscle tension, and elevated blood pressure.

Example: Walter Cannon first described the fight-or-flight response as the body's immediate reaction to stressors.

General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)

Hans Selye's model describes the stages of the body's response to prolonged stress:

• Alarm Stage: Initial reaction, activation of the sympathetic nervous system, release of stress hormones.

• Resistance Stage: Body attempts to cope with the stressor, maintaining arousal and hormone release.

• Exhaustion Stage: Resources are depleted, leading to decreased stress tolerance and increased risk of illness.

Example: During exam week, students may experience all three stages: initial alarm, sustained resistance, and eventual exhaustion.

Types and Sources of Stressors

Acute vs. Chronic Stress

• Acute Stress: Short-term, immediate stressors (e.g., a sudden deadline).

• Chronic Stress: Long-term, ongoing stressors (e.g., financial difficulties).

Categories of Stressors

• Distress: Unpleasant, undesirable stressors (e.g., loss of a loved one).

• Eustress: Positive stress that motivates and energizes (e.g., starting a new job).

Major Sources of Stress

• Catastrophes: Large-scale, unpredictable events (e.g., natural disasters).

• Major Life Changes: Events requiring significant adjustment (e.g., marriage, moving).

• Hassles: Daily annoyances (e.g., misplacing keys, noisy neighbors).

• Pressure: Urgent demands or expectations from external sources.

• Uncontrollability: Lack of control over events increases stress.

• Frustration: Blocked goals can lead to aggression or withdrawal.

Measuring Stress

Assessment Tools

• Life Events Checklist (LEC-5): Assesses exposure to major stressors.

• Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS): Ranks stressful life events by their impact.

• Trier Social Stress Test (TSST): Laboratory procedure to induce and measure stress.

Culture-Specific Stressors

Acculturative Stress

• Psychological impact of adapting to a new culture.

• Protective factors (e.g., social support) and risk factors (e.g., discrimination) influence stress levels.

• Generational differences and globalization affect acculturative stress.

Minority Stress Theory

• External Minority Stressors: Rejection, prejudice, discrimination due to minority status.

• Internal Minority Stressors: Internalized stigma, shame, and vigilance about potential prejudice.

• Minority stress can lead to negative psychological outcomes such as depression and anxiety.

Conflicting Goals and Stress

Types of Goal Conflicts

• Approach-Approach: Choosing between two desirable goals.

• Avoidance-Avoidance: Choosing between two undesirable goals.

• Approach-Avoidance: One goal has both positive and negative aspects.

• Double Approach-Avoidance: Two goals, each with positive and negative aspects.

• Multiple Approach-Avoidance: More than two goals, all with mixed aspects.

Example: Deciding between colleges, each with pros and cons, is a multiple approach-avoidance conflict.

Stress and Illness

Impact on the Immune System

• Psychoneuroimmunology: The study of how psychological factors affect the immune system.

• Chronic stress can suppress immune function, increasing vulnerability to illness.

Health Risks Associated with Stress

• Heart Disease: Increased risk due to elevated blood pressure and plaque buildup.

• Type 2 Diabetes: Associated with weight gain and poor stress management.

• Cancer: Stress suppresses immune cells that destroy tumor cells.

Explanatory Styles and Stress

Optimism vs. Pessimism

• Optimists: Expect positive outcomes, view stressors as challenges, and tend to be more health conscious.

• Pessimists: Expect negative outcomes, view stressors as threats, and are more likely to experience depression.

Social Factors and Stress

Environmental and Social Influences

• Poverty, job problems, and cultural changes can increase stress.

• Burnout: Negative changes in thoughts, emotions, and behavior due to prolonged stress or frustration.

Regulation and Coping with Stress

Coping Strategies

• Problem-Focused Coping: Direct actions to eliminate or reduce the source of stress.

• Emotion-Focused Coping: Changing one's emotional response to the stressor.

• Religion: Religious involvement can provide support and improve coping.

Meditation and Mindfulness

• Meditation: Mental exercise to refocus attention and improve relaxation.

• Concentrative Meditation: Focusing on a repetitive stimulus to clear the mind.

• Mindfulness: Fully attending to the present moment, rooted in Buddhist principles.

Stress in Academic Settings

Stress Among College Students

• Stress is a major factor impacting academic performance.

• Poor time management is a common source of stress among students.

• Resources such as academic success centers and mental health counseling can help manage stress.

Summary Table: Types of Stressors

Type of Stressor	Description	Example
Catastrophe	Large-scale, unpredictable event	Natural disaster
Major Life Change	Event requiring significant adjustment	Marriage, moving
Hassle	Daily annoyance	Misplacing keys
Pressure	Urgent demand or expectation	Work deadline
Uncontrollability	Lack of control over event	Traffic jam
Frustration	Blocked goal	Failed exam

Key Formula: Stress Response Cycle

The stress response can be summarized as:

$\text{Stressor} \rightarrow \text{Appraisal} \rightarrow \text{Physiological Response} \rightarrow \text{Coping}$

Additional info: This formula highlights the importance of cognitive appraisal in determining the impact of a stressor and the subsequent coping response.