Chapter 14: Stress and HealthChapter 14: Stress and Health

Studying the Effects of Studying the Effects of Stress on HealthStress on Health

Behavioral Medicine:Behavioral Medicine: field that combines field that combines knowledge of biomedical perspective and knowledge of biomedical perspective and behavioral perspective to study and treat behavioral perspective to study and treat health and illness. Term is often used health and illness. Term is often used interchangeably with interchangeably with Psychiatry.Psychiatry.

Health Psychology:Health Psychology: subfield of psychology subfield of psychology

that is used to contribute to behavioral that is used to contribute to behavioral medicine. Looks at psychological causes of medicine. Looks at psychological causes of illness and stress (cognitive, environment, illness and stress (cognitive, environment, social, biological, etc.)social, biological, etc.)

Killers of Yesterday and Killers of Yesterday and TodayToday

PercentageU.S.deaths

30

20

10

0

Tuber-culosis

Pneu-monia

Diarrhea/enteritis

Heartdisease

1900

PercentageU.S.deaths

30

20

10

0

Heartdisease

Cancer Strokes Chroniclung disease

1991

What is Stress?What is Stress? StressStress is the process by which we is the process by which we

respond to events, that we appraise as respond to events, that we appraise as threatening or challenging. threatening or challenging.

Stressors:Stressors: are the events/things that are the events/things that

stress us out! stress us out!

Stress Can Be Harmful or Stress Can Be Harmful or Helpful Depending on Your Helpful Depending on Your

Stress AppraisalStress Appraisal

Stressful event(tough math test)

Threat(“Yikes! This isbeyond me!”)

Challenge(“I’ve got to apply

all I know”)

Panic, freeze up

Aroused, focused

Appraisal Response

Biology of Stress? What is Biology of Stress? What is Activated When You Feel Activated When You Feel

Stress? Stress? Stress-Response Cycle Includes:Stress-Response Cycle Includes:

1. Sympathetic N.S. prompts the release of 1. Sympathetic N.S. prompts the release of adrenaline (epinephrine)adrenaline (epinephrine) from the inner part from the inner part of the adrenal glandsof the adrenal glands

2.2. Cerebral cortex (through hypothalamus and Cerebral cortex (through hypothalamus and pituitary gland) directs the outer part of the pituitary gland) directs the outer part of the adrenal glands to release of a glucocorticoid adrenal glands to release of a glucocorticoid stress hormone (stress hormone (cortisolcortisol). ).

Epinephrine works faster!Epinephrine works faster!

Animals and Humans Tend to Animals and Humans Tend to React To Stress In the Same React To Stress In the Same

Pattern.Pattern. Hans SelyeHans Selye discovered the responsive cycle discovered the responsive cycle

for how we react to stress which he named the:for how we react to stress which he named the: General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)

– Phase 1: Alarm:Phase 1: Alarm: activation of sympathetic activation of sympathetic nervous system.nervous system.

– Phase 2: Resistance:Phase 2: Resistance: arousal remains arousal remains high as you attempt to cope with the high as you attempt to cope with the stressor. “Fight or Flight.”stressor. “Fight or Flight.”

– Phase 3: Exhaustion:Phase 3: Exhaustion: body becomes run body becomes run down with constant stress which can leave down with constant stress which can leave you more vulnerable to illness or even death. you more vulnerable to illness or even death.

Stressful Life Events Can Stressful Life Events Can Create Serious Health RisksCreate Serious Health Risks

Categories of Stressful Categories of Stressful Life Events:Life Events:

1. Catastrophes: 1. Catastrophes: unavoidable natural unavoidable natural disasters, etc. disasters, etc.

2.2. Significant Life Significant Life Changes:Changes: loss of loved loss of loved one, leaving home, loss one, leaving home, loss of job, etc. of job, etc.

3. Everyday Hassles:3. Everyday Hassles:traffic, long lines at Best traffic, long lines at Best

Buy, etc. Buy, etc.

Perceived Control’s Effect Perceived Control’s Effect on Health and Stresson Health and Stress

Stressful events are Stressful events are especially harmful if especially harmful if they are perceived as they are perceived as negative and negative and uncontrollable. uncontrollable.

Those who feel Those who feel stressful events are stressful events are beyond their control beyond their control are also more are also more susceptible to illness susceptible to illness and disease. and disease.

The Rat With No Control The Rat With No Control Over the Shocks Develops Over the Shocks Develops

UlcersUlcers

No connection to shock source

To shock control To shock source

“Executive” rat “Subordinate” rat Control rat

Persistent Day to Day Persistent Day to Day Stress May Lead to BurnoutStress May Lead to Burnout Burnout:Burnout: physical, physical,

emotional, and emotional, and mental exhaustion mental exhaustion brought on by brought on by persistent job-related persistent job-related stress.stress.

Often common in Often common in teachers, nurses, and teachers, nurses, and police officers.police officers.

Stress and Heart DiseaseStress and Heart Disease

Although relatively rare in 1900, by the Although relatively rare in 1900, by the 1950s coronary heart disease has 1950s coronary heart disease has become the leading cause of death in become the leading cause of death in America.America.

Coronary Heart Disease:Coronary Heart Disease: when when vessels of heart are clogged which stops vessels of heart are clogged which stops heart muscles from being nourished. heart muscles from being nourished.

Many behavioral factors help contribute Many behavioral factors help contribute to this disease but stress is also a major to this disease but stress is also a major factor. factor.

Hopelessness and Heart Hopelessness and Heart DiseaseDisease

Hopelessnessscores

3.5

3

2.5

2

1.5

1

0.5

0

Heart attack Death

Low risk Moderate risk High risk

Men who feel extreme hopelessnessare at greater risk for heart attacksand early death

Personality Type and Heart Personality Type and Heart DiseaseDisease

Type A Personality:Type A Personality: competitive, hard competitive, hard driving, impatient, verbally aggressive, driving, impatient, verbally aggressive, and anger prone people.and anger prone people.

Type B Personality:Type B Personality: easy-going and easy-going and relaxed people. relaxed people.

Who’s at greater risk for heart disease?Who’s at greater risk for heart disease?

Stress Related IllnessesStress Related Illnesses Psychophysiological Illnesses:Psychophysiological Illnesses: “mind- “mind-

body” illnesses. Physical illnesses caused body” illnesses. Physical illnesses caused by stress.by stress.

Ex: Hypertension and some headaches. Ex: Hypertension and some headaches. Blood pressure also increases due to too Blood pressure also increases due to too

much stress. much stress. Are also referred to as psychosomatic Are also referred to as psychosomatic

disorders. This does not mean that disorders. This does not mean that symptoms are not real, it just means they symptoms are not real, it just means they have psychological causes.have psychological causes.

Fighting Disease With Fighting Disease With Immune SystemImmune System

Lymphocytes: Lymphocytes: Main defender against disease in Main defender against disease in

immune system made up of two types immune system made up of two types of white blood cells. of white blood cells.

B lymphocytes form in the bone B lymphocytes form in the bone marrow and release antibodies that marrow and release antibodies that fight bacterial infectionsfight bacterial infections

T lymphocytes form in the thymus and, T lymphocytes form in the thymus and, among other duties, attack cancer among other duties, attack cancer cells, viruses and foreign substancescells, viruses and foreign substances

Fighting Disease with Fighting Disease with Immune SystemImmune System

Macrophage:Macrophage: other agent of other agent of immune system which identifies, immune system which identifies, pursues, and ingests harmful pursues, and ingests harmful invaders.invaders.

Problems with Immune Problems with Immune SystemSystem

Immune System can either react too Immune System can either react too strongly or under react to harmful bodies. strongly or under react to harmful bodies.

Over-reaction causes body to attack its Over-reaction causes body to attack its own tissues. own tissues. Ex:Ex: arthritis, allergies, arthritis, allergies, lupus, M.S.lupus, M.S.

Under-reaction causes harmful bodies to Under-reaction causes harmful bodies to spread. spread. Ex:Ex: cancer cancer

Stress can divert energy away from the Stress can divert energy away from the immune system making illnesses more immune system making illnesses more likely. likely.

Conditioning the Immune Conditioning the Immune SystemSystem ExperimentExperiment

s have been s have been conducted conducted illustrating illustrating power to power to condition condition the immune the immune system to system to respond in respond in certain certain ways. ways.

UCS(drug)

UCR(immunesuppression)

UCS(drug)

UCR(immunesuppression)

CS(sweetenedwater)

CS(sweetenedwater)

CR(immunesuppression)

Promoting HealthPromoting Health Aerobic ExerciseAerobic Exercise

has positive has positive psychological and psychological and physical benefits. physical benefits.

Increases heart Increases heart and lung fitness and lung fitness and may also help and may also help alleviate alleviate depression and depression and anxiety. anxiety.

Depressionscore

14

13

12

11

10

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

Before treatmentevaluation

After treatmentevaluation

No-treatmentgroup

Aerobicexercise

group

Relaxationtreatment

group

Using Biofeedback to Using Biofeedback to Improve HealthImprove Health

Biofeedback:Biofeedback: system system for electronically for electronically recording, amplifying, recording, amplifying, and feeding back and feeding back information regarding a information regarding a subtle physiological subtle physiological state like blood state like blood pressure and muscle pressure and muscle tension tension in order to allow in order to allow a person to control a person to control autonomic functions autonomic functions like heart ratelike heart rate. .

Promoting HealthPromoting Health A strong social network which offers A strong social network which offers

support strongly promotes health support strongly promotes health during an illness and when healthy. during an illness and when healthy.

% with high support

Promoting HealthPromoting Health Spirituality and Faith Spirituality and Faith

CommunitiesCommunities has a strong has a strong correlation with positive health and correlation with positive health and enhancing medical treatment. enhancing medical treatment.

Possible reasons behind correlation Possible reasons behind correlation with religion? with religion? – Religiously active people:Religiously active people:

drink and smoke lessdrink and smoke less tend to have a larger support networktend to have a larger support network may have a greater sense of peace about the may have a greater sense of peace about the

future (hope)future (hope)

Overview of Healthy and Overview of Healthy and Unhealthy TendenciesUnhealthy Tendencies

Life events

Tendency towardHealth Illness

Personal appraisalChallenge Threat

Personality typeEasy going

NondepressedOptimistic

HostileDepressedPessimistic

Personality habitsNonsmoking

Regular exerciseGood nutrition

SmokingSedentary

Poor nutrition

Level of social supportClose, enduring Lacking