Sociocultural Factors in Stress.pdf

Tuesday, January 30, 2024 Sociocultural Factors in Stress Socioeconomic Status SES AND STRESS - key variable in understanding the relationship between SES and health outcomes Mediated by - Available resources: education, income, employment, status, wealth - Social status: the relative position withi...

Tuesday, January 30, 2024 Sociocultural Factors in Stress Socioeconomic Status SES AND STRESS - key variable in understanding the relationship between SES and health outcomes Mediated by - Available resources: education, income, employment, status, wealth - Social status: the relative position within a hierarchy - Environmental aspects: neighbourhood, social support ROLE OF SUBJECTIVE SES Subjective SES: Refers to ones perception of social status in comparison to others - Feeling others are better off than you may lead to stress Study — Ayalon, 2008 Participants: long-term care staff Perceived ↑SES predicted lower levels of burnout and more positive caregiving experiences CHRONIC STRESSORS Lower SES is related to increased incidence of socioecologic stressors: Living situation Financial status Employment The worse these factors = the greater impact SES has on health (stress as a mediator) MEDIATORS 1. Race & Ethnicity Disadvantaged minorities tend to be of lower SES ➡ African-Americans have been found to be at higher risk for hypertension ➡ Latin-Americans are have not been found to be at higher risk despite low SES Effect of discrimination may explain these differences Study — SES & Ethnicity/Race Participants: Low SES African-American Results: ✓ CHD linked to higher hostility, increased stress and lower social support 1 Tuesday, January 30, 2024 ✓ Individuals with a hostile style are more likely to experience ✓ More stressful interpersonal environment ✓ Higher degree of social conflict ✓ Less social support 2. Hostility 3. Perceived control Low feelings of control have been correlated to stress/negative health outcomes Work stress more common in low SES - Individuals report more chronic stressors: conflict, boredom, social strain, hostility, job insecurity, and dangerous working conditions Why is work more stressful at low SES levels? - Position at work confers respect through recognition of valuable individuals to the organization - SES directs people’s appraisal of their environment low SES groups experience less control Study — SES & Perceived Control Participants: Canadian workers Results: ✓ Low income, low occupational prestige, and low education associated with more stressful work and with less personal control ✓ Low personal control lead to high work stressors over time ✓ High work stressors lead to high health problems Karasek’s Job strain model ­ 2 Tuesday, January 30, 2024 Cross cultural di erences A culture is a group of people with shared values, characteristics, and interests. - Culture influences the stress response as follows: The types of stressors experienced The appraisal of these stressors The choice of coping strategies The institutional mechanisms for coping with stress CULTURE AND TYPES OF STRESSORS - Different cultures create different sets of stressors Social role expectations, geopolitical circumstances Values and our social expectations - There are also subcultures within the culture who experience/respond to stress differently - Poverty creates its own stressors - Affluence also has pressures CULTURE AND APPRAISAL OF STRESSORS - The meaning of stress is different in many cultures What is considered stressful also differs (e.g. looking someone in the eye) Affected by conscious and unconscious processes Affected by family and social ties CULTURE AND THE CHOICE OF COPING STRATEGIES - Coping strategies mediated by cultural values e.g Emotional expression of stress may be less acceptable in Asian cultures - These cultures may report bodily symptoms instead - Spiritual Coping - Collective vs Individualistic Coping Study — Independent vs interdependent culture Goal: Impact of cultural differences in self on cognitive appraisals in PTSD Participants: trauma survivors with/without PTSD from independent (individualist) and interdependent (collectivist) Results: ✓ People without PTSD have lower rating of mean mental defeat in Independent cultures vs Interdependent culture ✓ There is a stronger increase in rating of mean mental defeat in independent vs interdependent culture ✓ Somehow, PTSD seem to increase rating of mean mental defeat in interdependent culture ff 3 Tuesday, January 30, 2024 Sociocultural Trends - People live longer due to an increase in life expectancy Marriage is delayed Couples have fewer children More adult children choose to live at home while pursuing a higher education Increased number of adult children are returning home after divorce Cultural deprivation Family Structure Kinship Child rearing practices Caregiving 4