Stress and Health:Stress and Health:

How psychological factors How psychological factors can affect our immune can affect our immune

systemsystem

Central Nervous SystemCentral Nervous System

• Brain and Spinal CordBrain and Spinal Cord

SpinalCord

Brain

Peripheral Nervous SystemPeripheral Nervous System

• 3 kinds of 3 kinds of neuronsneurons– sensorysensory– motormotor– interneuronsinterneurons

SpinalCord

Brain

Nerves

Peripheral Nervous SystemPeripheral Nervous System

Peripheral NS

Somatic NS Autonomic NS

Peripheral Nervous SystemPeripheral Nervous System

Peripheral NS

Somatic NS Autonomic NS

Sympathetic NS Parasympathetic NS

SympatheticSympathetic

• “ “ Fight or flight” Fight or flight” responseresponse

Brain

Spinalcord

Dilates pupil

Inhibits salivation

Increases Respiration

Accelerates heartbeat

Inhibits activity

Stimulates glucose

Secretion of adrenaline,noradrenaline, cortisol

Relaxes bladder

Salivaryglands

Lungs

Heart

Stomach

Pancreas

Liver

Adrenalgland

Kidney

ParasympatheticParasympathetic

• “ “ Rest and Rest and digest” systemdigest” system

Brain

Spinalcord

Stimulates salivation

Constricts bronchi

Slows heartbeat

Stimulates activity

Contracts bladder

Stimulates gallbladder

Gallbladder

Contracts pupil

liver processes fat

Summary of autonomic Summary of autonomic differencesdifferences

Autonomic nervous system controls physiological arousal

Sympatheticdivision (arousing)

Parasympatheticdivision (calming)

Pupils dilate EYES Pupils contract

Decreases SALIVATION Increases

Perspires SKIN Dries

Increases RESPIRATION Decreases

Accelerates HEART Slows

Inhibits DIGESTION Activates

Secrete stresshormones

ADRENALGLANDS

Decrease secretionof stress hormones

PsychoneuroimmunologyPsychoneuroimmunology

• The study of how psychological The study of how psychological factors can affect health and illnessfactors can affect health and illness

• There is an interaction between the There is an interaction between the brain and the immune system: brain and the immune system: emotional/cognitive/behavioral emotional/cognitive/behavioral events result in physiological events.events result in physiological events.

DefinitionDefinition

• Stress: An internal state involving Stress: An internal state involving cognitive, emotional, physical, and cognitive, emotional, physical, and behavioral disturbancesbehavioral disturbances– distressdistress– eustresseustress

• Stressor: An environmental event Stressor: An environmental event capable of evoking stresscapable of evoking stress

Three (really four) Kinds of Three (really four) Kinds of StressorsStressors

1.1. Catastrophe: Catastrophe: an unpredictable, large-an unpredictable, large-scale event that creates a tremendous scale event that creates a tremendous need to adapt and adjust as well as need to adapt and adjust as well as overwhelming feelings of threat.overwhelming feelings of threat.

2.2. Major Life Events: life events that Major Life Events: life events that cause changecause change

3.3. Hassles: daily annoyancesHassles: daily annoyances

4.4. Chronic Role Strains Chronic Role Strains

Acculturative StressAcculturative Stress

• stress resulting from the need to stress resulting from the need to change and adapt a person’s ways to change and adapt a person’s ways to the majority culture.the majority culture.

•Four Methods of AcculturationFour Methods of Acculturation::– IntegrationIntegration– AssimilationAssimilation– SeparationSeparation– MarginalizationMarginalization

Need vs. Don’t Need vs. Don’t NeedNeed• OxygenOxygen

• NutrientsNutrients

• Blood Blood

• EnergyEnergy– glucoseglucose– cholesterolcholesterol

• SensesSenses

• Immune systemImmune system

• Growth/Tissue Growth/Tissue repairrepair

• Long-term nutrient Long-term nutrient storagestorage

• ReproductionReproduction

• DigestionDigestion

Selye’s General Adaptation Selye’s General Adaptation SyndromeSyndrome

1.1. AlarmAlarm

2.2. ResistanceResistance

3.3. ExhaustionExhaustion

The Immune SystemThe Immune System

• the system of cells, organs, and the system of cells, organs, and chemicals of the body that responds chemicals of the body that responds to attacks from diseases, infections, to attacks from diseases, infections, and injuries.and injuries.– Natural killer cellNatural killer cell - immune system cell - immune system cell

responsible for suppressing viruses and responsible for suppressing viruses and destroying tumor cells.destroying tumor cells.

Evolution of ResearchEvolution of Research

• Initial Research: Initial Research: S—>RS—>R– Nothing cognitive intervenes between a Nothing cognitive intervenes between a

stressful event (stressor) and a stress stressful event (stressor) and a stress response response

• Modern Research: S—>O—>R Modern Research: S—>O—>R – Cognitions intervene between a stressful Cognitions intervene between a stressful

event (stressor) and a stress responseevent (stressor) and a stress response

What affects how we perceive What affects how we perceive stress?stress?

STRESSORCOGNITION

(PERCEPTION)FEELING

“STRESSED”

““There is nothing either good or There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so.” bad but thinking makes it so.” ((HamletHamlet, Act II, Scene 2, line , Act II, Scene 2, line 259).259).

The Importance of The Importance of PerceptionPerception• Lazarus (1956): Circumcision StudyLazarus (1956): Circumcision Study

– All subjects watch a bloody circumcisionAll subjects watch a bloody circumcision..– Three IV conditions are created:Three IV conditions are created:

•PainlessPainless

•Focus on RitualFocus on Ritual

•Control ConditionControl Condition

– DV: Skin conductance levelDV: Skin conductance level

The Stress ProcessThe Stress Process

Potentially Stressful

Event

Perceived Stress

Well-Being

Appraisal

Coping

AppraisalAppraisal

  

Stress = Perceived – Perceived Demands Resources

Appraisal FactorsAppraisal Factors

• Explanatory style (Optimism vs. Explanatory style (Optimism vs. Pessimism)Pessimism)

• Self-efficacy Self-efficacy

• Sense of humorSense of humor

• Sense of controlSense of control

Appraisal Factors: Personality Appraisal Factors: Personality StyleStyle

• Type AType A– hostilityhostility

• Type BType B

• Type CType C

• HardinessHardiness

Coping: How to dealCoping: How to deal

• Problem-Focused Coping Problem-Focused Coping

vs.vs.

• Emotion-Focused CopingEmotion-Focused Coping

Coping: ForgivenessCoping: Forgiveness

• physiological response to ‘letting physiological response to ‘letting things go’things go’

• provides empathyprovides empathy

• NOT the same as forgettingNOT the same as forgetting

Coping: Rethinking the Coping: Rethinking the ProblemProblem

• ReappraisalReappraisal

• Learning from experienceLearning from experience

• Social comparisonSocial comparison

• sense of humorsense of humor

Coping IdeasCoping Ideas

• ExerciseExercise

• Social supportSocial support

• TimingTiming

• good diet, sleep, relaxationgood diet, sleep, relaxation

• get married ! (maybe)get married ! (maybe)

Pennebaker (1988)- Affect Pennebaker (1988)- Affect ExpressionExpression

• Students in one of two conditions for 4 Students in one of two conditions for 4 days:days:

1.1. write about traumatic events in their lives they write about traumatic events in their lives they had not previously discussed much with others had not previously discussed much with others OROR

2.2. write about trivial topicswrite about trivial topics

• mood, BP, HR, immunological tests before, mood, BP, HR, immunological tests before, after and 6 weeks after experimentafter and 6 weeks after experiment

• initially, group 1 felt worseinitially, group 1 felt worse• over time, group 1 had better immune over time, group 1 had better immune

system functioningsystem functioning• WHY?WHY?

Meditation: Learn to relax!Meditation: Learn to relax!

• Studies have shown meditation to Studies have shown meditation to increase coping ability and lessen increase coping ability and lessen stressstress

• Subsequently, this increases immune Subsequently, this increases immune system functioningsystem functioning

BurnoutBurnout• characterized by exhaustion, cynicism, characterized by exhaustion, cynicism,

and inefficacyand inefficacy

• Work-related burnout and risk of Work-related burnout and risk of cardiovascular diseasecardiovascular disease

• Students and burnoutStudents and burnout

• Burnout contagionBurnout contagion

• Vacations and burnoutVacations and burnout

• Jung’s natural efficiency and ‘falsification Jung’s natural efficiency and ‘falsification of type’of type’