Stress

Stress

1. Stress as a bodily response

   • Stress= Response that occurs when we think we can't cope with the pressures in our environment
   • Acute (SAM): Hypothalamus activates ANS which stimulates adrenal medulla releasing adrenaline and noradrenaline. Increases heart + blood pressure, decreases digestion
   • Chronic (HPA): Hypothalamus triggers release of CRH which stimulates pituitary gland, releases ACTH, stimulates adrenal cortex which releases corticosteriods

2. Physical illness

   • Selye's GAS theory: 1. Alarm stage (increased arousal levels, fight or flight response) 2. Resistance stage (bodies adapt although arousal levels are still high
   • Krantz et al (1991): stress and heart, 39 pots, stress inducing tasks, myocardial ischaema
   • Brady (1958): stress and development of ulcers, monkeys, electric shocks, executive
   • Kiecolt-Glaser (1995): punch biopsy's, ppts with alzheimers relatives, 13 women

3. Life changes

   • Holmes and Rahe's SSRS: ranking life events on scale
   • Rahe (1970): Life change units and illness, 2500 navy seamen,
   • Correlational studies: determine relationships between variables

4. Daily hassles

   • Kanner (1981): 100 adults, questionnaire on stressful daily hassles
   • Marmot (1997) civil service employees
   • Frankenhauser (1975): saw mill workers

5. Individual differences

   • Type A: competitive, Type B: relaxed Type X: mixture
   • Friedman + Rosenman (1974): 3000 american males, personality type assessed, type A=more stressed
   • Stress related to gender: biological, social and cognitive explanations

6. Stress management

   • Biological: Benzodiazepines, beta-blockers, bio-feedback
     • Strengths: effective (kahn, attanasio), treats symptoms, biofeedback = no side effects, drugs are easy to use
     • Weaknesses: Only treat symptoms not causes, drugs can be addictive, drugs=side effects, bio-feedback=expensive, time consuming
   • Psychological: Stress inoculation therapy, hardiness training
     • Strengths: identifies sources of stress, treats causes, gives clients control over stressful situations, shown to be effective
     • Weaknesses: involves time, commitment and money, not suitable or available for everyone, doesn't treat disorders such as schizophrenia, requires co-operation between patient and therapist