Topic 6C: stress

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stress: the strain experienced by an organism when there is a disruption of equilibrium, and the organism must adapt

dependent stressors: events that are a result of a person’s characteristics or behaviors, more predictive of depression

independent stressors: events that happen regardless of one’s personal behavior

there is variability in how people manage and react to stress; this is a result of cognitive appraisals (people’s interpretations of stressful situations)

primary appraisal: evaluation of a situation to determine if there is a threat

secondary appraisal: evaluation of one’s ability to handle the threat; a person that believes they cannot handle the situation experiences more stress

stress can help one survive in dangerous or threatening situations, however chronic stress contributes to psychological disorders

endocrine hormone interactions can be disrupted by stress

people perform better under a mild amount of stress, especially if they have expertise in the task, however there is a critical point where benefits wean and performance wanes

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stress triggers the fight-or-flight response, which is a complex physiological response involving multiple organ systems

the release of stress hormones triggers this response because of disruption of homeostasis d/t stress

HPA axis: hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal gland interactions which controls stress reactions

Releases cortisol from adrenal gland when a person is exposed to a stressor

This is usually under situations of extreme stress, such as when one is being socially judged or evaluated

High levels of cortisol present for prolonged periods of time are an indicator of someone suffering from chronic stress; high [cortisol] decreases activity of white blood cells

Psychosomatic disorders: physical problems with a psychological cause

Physiological reactions to stress can have a long-term impact on physical health; stress is a leading precursor to health issues

People also exhibit changes in behavior while under stress ---> Aggression, substance abuse, absenteeism, poor decision making, lack of creativity, sabotage, etc.

General Adaptation Syndrome: a series of symptoms defined after observation of rats under stress during an experiment

Alarm stage: the body mobilizes resources to react to the stressor

Resistance stage: buildup of forces when the stressor is determined to be continuing

Exhaustion stage: death if the body is unable to overcome the threat

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Stress management: attempts to control or decrease a person’s stress level

Maintaining good health helps avoid adverse effects of stress

Aerobic exercise has been shown to reduce depressive symptoms and to elicit a physiologic response to combat stress effects (release of serotonin and endorphins)

Yoga and meditation have been shown to reduce levels of stress hormones in the body, and can provide resilience

deep breathing, eating well, getting enough sleep