Stress, Anxiety & Health

Question 1

Subjective sensations of stress

Answer 1

Headache, nausea, fatigue, muscle tension

Question 2

Behaviour of stress

Answer 2

Crying, smoking, drinkin

Question 3

Health

Answer 3

Cardiovascular disease, cancer, colds skin disease

Question 4

U-shaped relationship of stress

Answer 4

Moderate stress levels can increase performance

Also stress of boredom can lead to increasing ill health

Question 5

3 Ways stress can be viewed

Answer 5

1) A response
2) A stimulus
3) An appraisal

Question 6

Stress as a response

Answer 6

Physiological response - e.g. fight/flight response!

Question 7

General Adaptiation Syndrome

Answer 7

Selye - shows a response pattern that if stress is sustained, if sever and sustained it cnan cause disease!
At first hock shows a dip in resistance then increased resistance however this can’t be sustained forever!
If two stresses occur at the sae time the physiological response runs out very quickly

Question 8

Psychoimmunology

Answer 8

Relationship between psychological states and immune system function!
Multiple stresses cause ill health

Question 9

Stress causes:

Answer 9

Cognitive impairment, emotional responses, post traumatic stress disorder

Question 10

Key Features of PTSD

Answer 10

Repeated re-living of the traumatic event, persistent effort of avoiding memories and survivor guilt

Question 11

Stress as a stimulus

Answer 11

Holmes & Rahe - Life events research on social re-adjustment.
Higher stress in those with illness
Daily hassles and uplifts are positive events

Question 12

Most stressful event?

Answer 12

Holmes & Rahe - death of a spouse

Question 13

Life events and breast cancer

Answer 13

Protheroe - no relationship

However one quasi-prospective found malignancy associated with a single major life event in the past 2 years

Question 14

Type A behaviour

Answer 14

Competitiveness, hostility, time urgency - 2x as likely for heart disease

Question 15

Type A & Heart Attacks

Answer 15

2x risk of heart
Risk of coronary atherosclerosis but only in under 45s
But type A heart attack survivors are less likely to die –> may change behaviour

Question 16

Lifestyle interventions?

Answer 16

Ornish programme reduces risk of heart attacks –> exercise, diet, healthy lifestyle!

Question 17

Stress as appraisal

Answer 17

Appraisal process
Primary - perception of demands, with a potential for threat, harm or challenge
Secondary - monitor the available coping actions>
Re-appraisal - continual re-evaluation or re-labelling

Question 18

Stress pathway to disease

Answer 18

–>CNS & Endocrine changes –> impaired immunity
Stress DISEASE
–> behaviour changes –> toxin exposure

Question 19

Potential for stress reduction?

Answer 19

Behaviour changes

Question 20

Adverse Childhood Experiences

Answer 20

Experiences in early life shown to affect health and psychological state in later life!

Question 21

Anxiety Symptoms

Answer 21

Physical: tachycardia, tension, dizzy, tingling
Psychological: on edge, lose control
Behaviours: Avoidaince

Question 22

Anxiety Feelings

Answer 22

Feelings out of proportion to the threat
Intolerance of uncertainty –> drives work, overestimates risk, double checking, list taking etc –> these all temporarily relieve anxiety but exacerbate in the long term!

Question 23

Managing stress

Answer 23

Relaxation training - focused breathing etc
Meditation
Exercise

Question 24

Coping strategies

Answer 24

Problem-focused: change situation, avoid in future
Emotion-focused: behaviour strategies, ,physical exercise, drinking, venting anger
Cognitive strategies: denial, rumination, discussion

Question 25

Important of social support

Answer 25

Poor coping erodes social support

Question 26

Cancer research

Answer 26

Cooper and Farther shows support and survival time connected!

Question 27

Ornish programme

Answer 27

practices group support to help solve Type A behaviour!