PSYCHOLOGY IN ACTION

Seventh Edition
by

Karen Huffman
PowerPoint Lecture Notes Presentation

Chapter 3 Stress & Health Psychology

Lynn Gussman
Forsyth Technical Community College
2004 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Huffman: PSYCHOLOGY IN ACTION, 7E

Note to the Instructor

The following set of slides provides a basic foundation for your PowerPoint presentation of the core concepts found in Chapter 3 of Psychology in Action (7e). Please consult our website: http://www.wiley.com/college/huffman or the Instructor's Resource CD for additional options, including video clips, figures, tables, key terms, etc.

2004 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Huffman: PSYCHOLOGY IN ACTION, 7E

Lecture Overview
Stress and Health Stress and Serious Illness Coping with Stress Promoting wellness

2004 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Huffman: PSYCHOLOGY IN ACTION, 7E

Health Psychology
Health psychology examines the relationship between psychological behavior and physical health/illness. Focus of health psychology is on
Wellness Prevention of illness

Many major causes of death are related to behavior and lifestyle rather than to infections.
Smoking, drinking, risky sex are causes of death that can be prevented.

2004 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Huffman: PSYCHOLOGY IN ACTION, 7E

Stress
Stress is a nonspecific response of the body to any demand made on it.
Eustress: pleasant, desirable stress as in the stress associated with exercise Distress: is unpleasant stress as in illness

Stressors are stimuli that cause stress.

Stressors can be major (loss of a parent) or can be minor (parking your car).

Body eventually fails when subjected to chronic stress.

2004 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Huffman: PSYCHOLOGY IN ACTION, 7E

Life Changes as Stressors

Life events can function as stressors. When many life events occur in a short period of time, enough stress can be induced to alter health. Holmes and Rahe developed the Social Readjustment Rating scale (SRRS).
Assesses the number of life changes in a period of time and predicts the likelihood of developing illness
2004 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Huffman: PSYCHOLOGY IN ACTION, 7E

Daily Stress
Some stressors are chronic:
Job-related (shift work, co-workers) Environmental stressors (aircraft noise)

Hassles are small problems that accumulate to induce major stress.

Time pressures to get things done Financial concerns Problems with family and coworkers

Frustration is a negative emotional state associated with a blocked goal.

2004 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Huffman: PSYCHOLOGY IN ACTION, 7E

Conflicts
Conflicts arise when choosing between incompatible alternatives.
Approach-approach: choosing between desirable alternatives Avoidance-avoidance: choosing between undesirable alternatives Approach-avoidance: choosing between alternatives which have both desirable and undesirable results

2004 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Huffman: PSYCHOLOGY IN ACTION, 7E

Effects of Stress
The sympathetic portion of the autonomic nervous system is activated during stress.
Increased heart rate, muscle tension,blood pressure HPA Axis: Release of adrenaline and cortisol These physiological changes use up energy and can be sustained for only a period of time. Prolonged stressor exposure leads to exhaustion and death.

2004 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Huffman: PSYCHOLOGY IN ACTION, 7E

General Adaptation Syndrome

Hans Selye Three phases:
Alarm: body mobilizes energy to defend against stressor. Resistance: arousal declines somewhat; people may develop diseases of adaptation. Exhaustion: energy becomes depleted; ability to resist stressors may collapse.

2004 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Huffman: PSYCHOLOGY IN ACTION, 7E

Stress and the Immune System

Immune system functioning is impaired by exposure to stress.
Cortisol suppresses immune system functioning. Compromised immune system is less able to resist infection and cancer development.

2004 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Huffman: PSYCHOLOGY IN ACTION, 7E

Stress and Serious Illness

Cancer is caused by:
-hereditary dispositions
-environmental factors that lead to changes in body chemistry and the immune system

Heart disease is associated with the buildup of fats in blood vessels; stress increases this effect.
Type A personalities (ambitious, time urgent) are more likely to suffer heart disease. Reducing stress alters blood cholesterol so as to reduce chance of blood vessel blockage. Behaviors such as smoking, obesity and lack of exercise contribute to heart disease.

2004 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Huffman: PSYCHOLOGY IN ACTION, 7E

Personality and Stress

Type A personality traits include time pressure, anger, and hostility.
Behavior modification is used to encourage Type A persons to slow down, follow a diet, to exercise, and to avoid cynical hostility.

Hardiness is a personality type that is resistant to stress. Hardiness involves:

Commitment to personal goals Personal view of being in control Viewing change as a welcome challenge

2004 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Huffman: PSYCHOLOGY IN ACTION, 7E

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

PTSD is an anxiety disorder following exposure to a horrifying event. Characterized by flashbacks, nightmares and impaired functioning.

2004 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Huffman: PSYCHOLOGY IN ACTION, 7E

Coping with Stress

Stressors are pervasive in our lives. Reducing stress can be accomplished by either avoiding stressors or by reducing our response to stressors. Coping: managing stress in some effective way
Emotion-focused forms of coping change how we view a situation (our reaction). Problem-focused forms of coping deal directly with the stressor to eliminate it .
2004 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Huffman: PSYCHOLOGY IN ACTION, 7E

Resources to Manage Stress

Health and energy are key aspects to minimize the damage produced by stress. Positive beliefs are important for reducing stress impact. Social skills lead to social support. Social support (network of friends, family) reduces stress impact. Material resources can help to minimize the sources and types of stress. Personal control allows people to buffer the negative reactions to stress.
2004 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Huffman: PSYCHOLOGY IN ACTION, 7E

Locus of Control
External Locus of Control: believing that chance or outside forces beyond ones control determine ones fate Internal Locus of Control: believing that one controls ones own fate
People with an internal locus of control are more likely to adopt more positive coping strategies.

2004 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Huffman: PSYCHOLOGY IN ACTION, 7E

Active Coping Strategies

Relaxation during stress exposure minimizes the impact of the exposure. Exercise leads to physical fitness and good health.
Reduces likelihood of illness Reduces negative impact of stress

2004 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Huffman: PSYCHOLOGY IN ACTION, 7E

Smoking
Cigarette smoking is the single most preventable cause of death and disease in the United States. Smoking is a major risk factor for:
Coronary heart disease Cancer Low birth weight, prenatal death Fire deaths

Secondhand smoke exposure is also a significant health risk.

2004 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Huffman: PSYCHOLOGY IN ACTION, 7E

Smoking Prevention
Different factors may initiate and maintain smoking:
Teens may start smoking as a means of rebellion or because of peer pressure, imitation of role models, learned associations. People may continue to smoke because nicotine is addictive.
Nicotine releases transmitters such as acetylcholine, dopamine, and norepinephrine. These transmitters increase alertness and are rewarding. Smoking relieves withdrawal symptoms.

2004 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Huffman: PSYCHOLOGY IN ACTION, 7E

Prevention and Treatment

Most anti-smoking programs focus on psychosocial factors:
Minimize peer pressure to smoke Educate about long- and short-term consequences of smoking Help smokers resist social pressures Use of cognitive and behavioral techniques to deal with withdrawal Supplement with nicotine replacement therapy
2004 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Huffman: PSYCHOLOGY IN ACTION, 7E

Causes of Cancer

2004 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Huffman: PSYCHOLOGY IN ACTION, 7E

Binge Drinking in Colleges

Student binge drinkers believe their drinking levels are normal, when in fact their consumption is above the norm. Many students believe that binge drinking is harmless. Some students infer that binge drinking is fine because the college does not tell them otherwise. Binge drinking is often a key aspect of the Greek experience of college life. Alumni who binge drink give the impression that such behavior is expected of students.
2004 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Huffman: PSYCHOLOGY IN ACTION, 7E

Binge Drinking
Binge drinking refers to the consumption of some number of alcoholic drinks in a single session:
Male: 5 or more drinks Female: 4 or more drinks

Approximately 5.1 million Americans could be labeled as binge drinkers. Binge drinking is a major problem on college campuses:
43% of college students are binge drinkers 20% of college students binge frequently
2004 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Huffman: PSYCHOLOGY IN ACTION, 7E

Cross-Cultural Binge Drinking

Mexico: binge drinking is an issue at fiestas and can contribute to aggression. Spain/South America: young binge drinking males are more likely to exhibit aggression. Denmark: wine drinkers are more likely to binge than are beer drinkers. Russia: 44% of males qualify as bingers. Japan: binge drinking is reduced in persons who are unable to metabolize alcohol.
2004 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Huffman: PSYCHOLOGY IN ACTION, 7E

Chronic Pain
Pain is the most common symptom reported by patients in visits to physicians. Chronic pain involves continuous or recurrent pain over a 6 month or longer period. Chronic pain produces irritation, depression, anxiety, and dependence on others.

2004 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Huffman: PSYCHOLOGY IN ACTION, 7E

Treatment of Chronic Pain

Treatment of chronic pain can involve:
Exercise programs promote release of endorphins which reduce pain perception. Operant conditioning techniques reward well behaviors. Biofeedback (electromyography) can reduce muscle tension. Relaxation training reduces impact of pain.

2004 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Huffman: PSYCHOLOGY IN ACTION, 7E

Copyright
Copyright 2004 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, NY. All rights reserved. No part of the material protected by this copyright may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission of the copyright owner.

2004 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Huffman: PSYCHOLOGY IN ACTION, 7E