Lecture Topic 7 - Health, Stress & Coping

Question 1

General Adaptation Syndrome - Stages

Answer 1

According to the early work of Hans Selye (1976), there is a consistent pattern in humans regarding the physical responses to stress.
1. Alarm Reaction – similar to the fight or flight syndrome. May involve changes to a variety of physiological changes such as heartrate, galvanic skin response (GSR), breathing, etc.
2. Resistance Stage – should stress continue after the initial phase, physiological indicators slightly diminish yet continue to operate in order to deal with the situation.
3. Exhaustion Stage – occurs when the continued stress leads to significant wear and tear on the person’s physiology. Reflects a need for the body to restore and repair itself.

Question 2

General Adaptation Model of Stress

Answer 2

The General Adaptation Model of Stress is a theory which describes an individual’s physical, psychological, cognitive and emotional responses to a stressful event.

Example: Failing an assessment
Event -> Perception of Event -> Physiological Arousal* -> Stress ->Psychological/Physical Impact
*incorporating the “Fight or Flight” response

Yerkes-Dodson Principle Stress & Performance

Question 3

Stress Responses

Answer 3

behaviorual responses
cogntivie responses
emotional responses
psychological responses

Question 4

behavioural responses to stress

Answer 4

Behavioural responses are primarily represented by the actions and/or words of the individual and may include:
- Changes in Substance Use
- Changes in Eating Patterns
- Changes in Sleep Patterns
- Self-Harm/Physical Damage

Question 5

cognitive responses to stress

Answer 5

Cognitive responses are primarily represented by a significant impact on the individual’s thoughts or thinking style and may include:
- Rumination
- Catastrophising
- Functional Fixedness
- Mental Set

Question 6

emotional responses to stress

Answer 6

Emotional responses are primarily represented by a significant change in individual’s emotional style and or emotional reactions and may include:
- Atypical Outbursts
- Atypical Suppression
- Prolonged Episodes of Emotion
- Inability to Control Emotional Reactions

Question 7

Psychological health model

Answer 7

Mental Health – the impact of stress, depression, anxiety and other serious psychological challenges (often from unexpected sources) on our thoughts, feelings and behaviours.
Wellbeing – the ability to successfully manage predictable day-to-day challenges (e.g., anger, frustration, grinding teeth, sleep disturbances).

Question 8

wellbeing

Answer 8

Our overall day-to-day wellbeing may be affected by a range of experiences, including:
* relationship wellbeing
* friends & family wellbeing
* professional wellbeing - the day-to-day challenges experienced as part of your profession/occupation/job

Question 9

what are the unique professional challenges most often identified by prison officers

Answer 9

1. Environmental Threat
   The degree to which an individual believes that their physical safety may be compromised due to the environment they work in.
2. Environmental Unpredictability
   The degree to which an individual believes that their work environment is erratic, changeable and/or volatile.
3. Expectation of Workplace Trauma
   The degree to which an individual believes that they are likely to be exposed to traumatic experiences in the workplace.
4. Need for Vigilance
   The degree to which an individual believes that a continued need for heightened awareness (hyper-vigilance) is required in the workplace.
5. Inability to Achieve Workplace Respite
   The degree to which an individual believes that there are few opportunities to “step back” and gain cognitive and physical separation from the workplace environment while on duty. * Identified as the MOST stressful factor.
6. Action Consequence
   The degree to which an individual believes that workplace decisions can have severe negative consequences for self or others.

Question 10

adaptive responses to unique challenges - prison officers

Answer 10

• Interpersonal – tendency to deal with daily challenges through interactions with others
• Cognitive – tendency to deal with daily challenges through thinking styles (e.g., downward comparisons, cognitive re-structuring)
• Behavioural – tendency to deal with daily challenges through one’s actions (e.g., removal of workplace regalia)