Social Psychology - Stress and Health

Social Psychology - Stress and Health

• Stress is the term used to describe physical, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral responses to events perceived as threatening or challenging.
• Stressors are events that cause stress reactions.
• Distress is the effect of unpleasant and undesirable stressors.
• Eustress is the effect of positive events or the optimal amount of stress that motivates adaptation and change.

Learning Objectives

• Understand the concept of stress
• Explain sources of stress in everyday life
• Explain bodily reactions to stress
• Understand the relationship between stress and the immune system
• Discuss the relationship between stress and personality
• Discuss the relationship between stress and social factors
• Discuss coping strategies

Types of Stressors

• Environmental Stressors:

  • Catastrophe - unpredictable, large-scale events needing adaptation and adjustment, often leading to PTSD, anxiety, sleep problems, and substance abuse.
  • Major Life Events - events requiring lifestyle changes, e.g., death of a spouse, divorce, losing a job, getting married.
  • Daily Hassles - minor irritations, conflicts, and financial problems contributing to overall stress.

• Psychological Stressors:

  • Pressure - urgent demands or expectations from an external source, often related to time constraints and performance.
  • Frustration - the blockage of a desired goal or need; reactions include persistence, aggression, escape/withdrawal (including various forms of self-harm), and apathy.
  • Conflict - being pulled toward two or more desires or goals, only one of which can be attained, e.g., delicious food vs. calories, choosing between a costly but fuel-efficient car and an inexpensive gas guzzler.

Bodily Reactions to Stress - General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)

• Alarm stage: Initial response to a stressor, involving activation of the sympathetic nervous system (fight-or-flight response). Characterised by a sudden increase in physiological arousal, but also the sense of faintness upon the sympathetic system's activation.
• Resistance stage: Continued response to the stressor, coping mechanisms are engaged.
• Exhaustion stage: Extended stress response, resulting in negative health consequences when coping mechanisms become inadequate, exhaustion is reached (stress related diseases and death of organisms are common).

Effect of Stress on the Immune System

• Immune system negatively impacted by stress.
• Prolonged stress depletes resources, reducing immune function.
• Psychoneuroimmunology studies the psychological factors (e.g. stress, emotions) that impact the immune system.
• High stress levels are correlated with a greater risk of getting a cold.

Stress and Coronary Heart Disease

• Stress reactions can increase unhealthy behaviors such as overeating, consuming alcohol/drugs, and avoiding exercise.

Stress and Cancer

• Natural killer (NK) cells are responsible for destroying cancer cells.
• Stress can suppress NK cell activity, increasing vulnerability to cancer. Stress does not cause cancer, but suppresses the natural killer cells that fight it.

Personality and Stress

• Personality differences affect how stressors are perceived and coped with.
• Type A personality is competitive, ambitious, time-conscious, and often hostile; individuals with this personality are at a higher risk for coronary heart disease.
• Type B personality is relaxed and less driven compared to Type A; less likely to experience health problems.
• Type C personality is often pleasant but tends to repress emotions, especially negative ones; associated with cancer.
• Hardy personality (Type H) appears like Type A, but they are less prone to heart disease. They thrive on stress thanks to commitment, control, and challenge.
• Optimists (expect positive outcomes) live longer, show enhanced immunity, and have higher levels of natural killer cells.
• Pessimists (expect negative outcomes) are at higher risk of health issues and have a reduced capacity to take part in social activities.

Social Factors and Stress

• Poverty, workplace stress, and cultural differences add to the effects of stress.
• Burnout results from prolonged stress or frustration, leading to changes in thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.
• Acculturative stress arises from adapting to a new culture, with varying levels of stress depending on the method of acculturation. (Integration, Assimilation, Separation, Marginalisation).

Social Support and Stress

• Social support networks (family, friends, coworkers) provide comfort, aid, and can positively impact health.
  • Individuals with supportive networks are less susceptible to illnesses and have better coping mechanisms.

Coping Strategies

• Coping strategies are actions to manage stress.

• Problem-focused coping aims to eliminate the stressor or mitigate its impact via direct action.

• Emotion-focused coping changes the emotional response to the stressor.

• Meditation - can help refocus attention and achieve a trance-like state of consciousness.

• Religion - attending religious functions can provide emotional support for managing stressful events.

This quiz explores key concepts in social psychology related to stress and health. It covers the definitions and types of stressors, the impacts of stress on the body, and various coping strategies. Examine the relationship between stress, personality, and social factors in everyday life.