5.1 - Introduction to Health Psychology

Stress and Health

• Stress: The body's response to any demand or challenge.

• Stressor: The event or situation that triggers the stress response.

Stress Responses

• Fight-or-Flight Response (Cannon): The body's rapid, automatic response to a perceived threat.

  • Key Hormones: Adrenaline (epinephrine) and noradrenaline (norepinephrine)

  • Effects: Increased heart rate, breathing, blood sugar, and energy for immediate action.

• Slow Stress Response (Selye): The body's slower, hormonal response to ongoing stress.

  • Key Hormone: Cortisol

  • Triggered by: The hypothalamus and pituitary gland

• General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) (Selye): The body's three-stage response to prolonged stress.

General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)

• Hans Selye's Model: Describes the body's three-stage response to prolonged stress.

1. Alarm Reaction:

   • The "fight-or-flight" response kicks in.

   • Body releases stress hormones (adrenaline, cortisol) to prepare for action.

   • If the stressor continues, this stage can deplete the body's resources.

2. Resistance:

   • The body attempts to adapt to the ongoing stressor.

   • Outwardly, the person may seem fine, but internally, the body is working hard to maintain balance.

3. Exhaustion:

   • If the stress continues, the body's resources become depleted.

   • The person becomes vulnerable to illness, fatigue, and burnout.

Stress and the Immune System

• Chronic Stress: Weakens the immune system, making us more susceptible to illness.

Tend-and-Befriend Theory

• Suggests that some people respond to stress by caring for themselves or others and seeking social connections.

• This response is observed more often in women.

Personality and Stress

• Type A: Competitive, driven, impatient, prone to anger and stress.

• Type B: Easygoing, relaxed, less prone to stress.

Coping with Stress

• Problem-Focused Coping:

  • Directly addressing the stressor to reduce its impact.

  • Example: If you're stressed about a test, studying more is a problem-focused approach.

• Emotion-Focused Coping:

  • Managing the emotional distress caused by the stressor.

  • Example: If you're stressed about a situation you can't control, talking to a friend or practicing relaxation techniques would be emotion-focused coping.