Understanding the Impact of Stress on Health

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Questions and Answers

Which of the following best defines stress according to McGrath (1970)?

An automatic response of the organism to any environmental change

A balanced state between demands and response capacity

A minor discrepancy between demands and response capacity

Substantial unbalance perceived between demands and response capacity (correct)

What is considered a protection factor to stress?

Inability to alter the stressful event

Lack of control over the situation

Taking control by planning and preparing in a timely fashion (correct)

Uncertainty about the consequences of failure

According to Brengelmann (1987), what are stress situations characterized by?

Situations with easily manageable demands

Low demands for the individual

Situations that consume coping resources (correct)

Situations that do not require any effort

What can make studying for an exam less stressful?

Keeping up with homework and planning each day Signup and view all the answers

What is the automatic response of the organism to any environmental change according to Labrador (1995)?

Readiness to face possible demands generated by the new situation Signup and view all the answers

According to the text, when does stress occur?

When events seem uncontrollable and threatening Signup and view all the answers

What is considered a vulnerability factor to stress?

Situations that seem uncontrollable and threatening Signup and view all the answers

What does stress manifest as, according to its definition?

Biochemical, physiological, cognitive, and behavioral changes Signup and view all the answers

Which system initiates the earliest response to stress, causing the 'fight-or-flight' response?

The sympathetic-adrenomedullary (SAM) system Signup and view all the answers

What is the chance of a health breakdown for a person with between 150 and 300 points on Holmes and Rahe's Stress Scale?

50% Signup and view all the answers

Which hormone helps the body conserve energy and reduce inflammation in response to stress?

Cortisol Signup and view all the answers

What physiological responses are triggered by the release of cortisol and catecholamines in response to stress?

Increased heart rate, blood pressure, and sweating Signup and view all the answers

What factor can make individuals more susceptible to illness by weakening their immune system and increasing inflammation?

Prolonged exposure to stress Signup and view all the answers

What influences vulnerability to stress according to the given text?

Inadequate stress-absorbers systems Signup and view all the answers

Which coping strategy involves minimizing the severity of the disease and avoiding thoughts about it?

Avoidant coping Signup and view all the answers

Which type of anxiety items in the STAI is used to assess anxiety that continues even after the stressful event has disappeared?

State anxiety items Signup and view all the answers

What does a higher score on the STAI indicate?

Greater anxiety Signup and view all the answers

According to the text, which intervention is NOT mentioned as a treatment for anxiety?

Reinforce/punishment modulation Signup and view all the answers

What is the specific phobia related to dental fear called?

Odontophobia Signup and view all the answers

According to the text, what is recommended for dentists to fight against dental fear?

Communication improvement Signup and view all the answers

Which type of therapy is NOT mentioned as a strategy to manage patients with dental anxiety and dental phobia?

Pharmacological intervention Signup and view all the answers

According to the text, which type of knowledge is NOT mentioned in the book 'Personality Psychology: Domains of Knowledge about Human Nature'?

Dental fear psychology Signup and view all the answers

Who is the author of the literature review 'Strategies to manage patients with dental anxiety and dental phobia'?

D.P. Appukuttan Signup and view all the answers

According to Selye's General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) model, in which stage does the body mobilize resources to fight against the stressor?

Alarm Signup and view all the answers

Which model of stress proposes that stress is the result of a person's cognitive interpretation of a situation?

Richard Lazarus's transactional model Signup and view all the answers

What does the secondary appraisal evaluate in Richard Lazarus's transactional model of stress?

Resources available to cope with the situation Signup and view all the answers

According to Selye, what is distress?

The body's energy and resources depletion in the exhaustion stage Signup and view all the answers

In Holmes and Rahe's major life events theory, what does the sum of stress points assigned to events provide?

Estimate of the amount of stress experienced by an individual Signup and view all the answers

Which stage in Selye's GAS model involves the body trying to adapt to the continued exposure to a stressor?

Resistance Signup and view all the answers

What is the basis for stress appraisal according to Lazarus's transactional model?

'Primary appraisal and secondary appraisal Signup and view all the answers

'Unwished events' is an example of a factor that influences stress appraisal according to _____ theory.

Holmes and Rahe's major life events Signup and view all the answers

Which coping strategy involves the patient sinking into the diagnosis with a pessimistic attitude and perceiving it as a huge threat?

Hopelessness Signup and view all the answers

Which coping intervention affects the physiological experience of stress by reducing arousal?

Relaxation training Signup and view all the answers

What is the emotion associated with fear and anguish, characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts, and physical changes like increased blood pressure?

Anxiety Signup and view all the answers

Which cognitive-behavioural therapy technique incorporates acceptance of a problem, mindfulness regarding its occurrence, and commitment to behavior change?

Acceptance/Commitment Theory (ACT) Signup and view all the answers

Which psychological test can be used for diagnosing anxiety?

State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) Signup and view all the answers

Which passive coping strategy involves the patient accepting the diagnosis with a resigned and fatalist attitude?

Fatalism Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Moorey & Greer (1989) identified three passive coping strategies for dealing with stress and disease: fatalism, anxious worry, and hopelessness.
Fatalism: patient accepts diagnosis with a resigned and fatalist attitude, perceiving it as a real threat, and relying on others for control. Problem-focused strategies are absent, and the emotional tone is calm.
Anxious worry: patient constantly worries about the disease and perceives any aversive sign as an essential part of it. They seek approval of others regarding the severity of their illness and exhibit generalized anxiety.
Hopelessness: patient sinks into the diagnosis with a pessimistic attitude, adopting a feeling of hopelessness, and perceiving it as a huge threat. Both problem- and emotional-focused coping strategies are absent, and the emotional tone is depressive.
Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is a coping intervention that helps individuals manage stress reactions and negative emotions by engaging the prefrontal cortical regions of the brain. It involves an 8-week program that promotes approaching stressful situations mindfully rather than reacting automatically.
Acceptance/Commitment Theory (ACT) is a cognitive-behavioural therapy technique that incorporates acceptance of a problem, mindfulness regarding its occurrence, and commitment to behaviour change. It does not challenge thoughts directly but instead teaches individuals to notice and respond more flexibly to them.
Relaxation training is a coping intervention that affects the physiological experience of stress by reducing arousal. Techniques include deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation training, guided imagery, transcendental meditation, yoga, and self-hypnosis. Benefits include reduced heart rate, muscle tension, blood pressure, inflammatory activity, lipid levels, anxiety, and tension.
Anxiety is an emotion associated with fear and anguish, characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts, and physical changes like increased blood pressure. It can appear in real or unreal situations and has a significant cognitive component.
Anxiety symptoms can manifest cognitively, physiologically, motorically, or as a combination of the three. Cognitive symptoms include excessive preoccupation, insecurity, fear, apprehension, negative thinking, threat anticipation, concentration difficulties, decision-making difficulties, lost control sensation, memory related problems, and familiar and social excessive preoccupation.
Physiological symptoms include cardiovascular symptoms like fast pulse, palpitations, heat accesses; genitourinary symptoms like frequent pee, enuresis, and erectile dysfunctions; respiratory symptoms like suffocation sensation, lack of air, fast and superficial respiration, and thoracic oppression; neurovegetative symptoms like dry mouth, excessive sweating, and dizziness; and neuromuscular symptoms like muscular tension, trembling, tingling, and rejection/avoidance behaviours.
Anxiety can be diagnosed through a clinical interview and psychological tests such as the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Endler Multidimensional Anxiety Scales (EMAS), Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, and Beck Depression Inventory.
Anxiety disorders include Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, Phobias, Specific Phobia, Agoraphobia, Social Anxiety Disorder, and Separation Anxiety Disorder. Anxiety interferes with daily functioning and is highly maladaptive when it reaches severe levels.
Anxiety can be classified as a mental disorder and can manifest as state anxiety (unpleasant emotional arousal) or trait anxiety (individual predisposition to respond with anxiety). Anxiety can be adaptive at low levels, but maladaptive at moderate and severe levels.

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Description

This quiz explores the concept of stress and its potential impact on health, based on the findings of Holmes and Rahe's scale. It provides insights into how stress levels can correlate with the likelihood of experiencing serious illnesses.