Stress, Coping, and Health

The Relationship
Between Stress and Disease
Contagious diseases
vs. chronic diseases
Biopsychosocial model
Health psychology
Health promotion and
maintenance
Discovery of
causation, prevention,
and treatment
 Stress: An Everyday Event

Major stressors vs. routine hassles

Cumulative nature of stress
Cognitive appraisals
 Major Types of Stress
Frustration: blocked goal
Conflict: incompatible
motivations
Approach-approach
Approach-avoidance
Avoidance-avoidance
Change: having to adapt
Social Readjustment
Rating Scale
Life Change Units
Pressure
Perform/conform
Overview of the Stress Process
 Responding to Stress Emotionally
Emotional
Responses
Annoyance, anger,
rage
Apprehension, anxiety,
fear
Dejection, sadness,
grief
Positive emotions
Emotional response
and performance
The inverted-U-
 Responding to Stress
Physiologically
Physiological Responses
Fight-or-flight response
Selyes General Adaptation Syndrome
Alarm
Resistance
Exhaustion
Responding to Stress Behaviorally
Behavioral Responses
Frustration-aggression
hypothesis
catharsis
defense mechanisms
Coping
Reappraisal
Confronting problems
Using humor
Expressing emotions
Managing hostility
 Effects of Stress:
Behavioral and Psychological
Impaired task
performance
Burnout
Psychological
problems and
disorders
Positive effects
 Effects of Stress: Physical

Psychosomatic diseases
Heart disease
Type A behavior - 3
elements
strong competitiveness
impatience and time
urgency
anger and hostility
Emotional reactions and
depression
Stress and immune
functioning
Reduced immune activity
Factors Moderating the Impact of
Stress

Social support
Increased immune functioning
Optimism
More adaptive coping
Pessimistic explanatory style
Conscientiousness
Fostering better health habits
Autonomic reactivity
Cardiovascular reactivity to stress
 Firefighter Specific Stressors
Reliance on teamwork
Low job control
Sleep disturbances/Shift work
Boredom
Coworker conflict
Management-Labor conflict
Second jobs
Marital/Family spillover
 Firefighter Stress Reactions
Apprehension/Dread
Intrusive thoughts
No hope
Sleep difficulties
Gastrointestinal symptoms
Throat and mouth symptoms
 At-Risk Firefighters
Research reveals 2 distinct profiles for at-risk
firefighters
Profile 1 (somaticizers) Reported greater frequency
and intensity of physical symptoms
Head/neck/facial tension
Gastrointestinal distress
Cardiopulmonary complaints
Profile 2 (psychological stress) Reported higher levels
of
Apprehension/dread
Anger
Generalized anxiety
Agitated depression
 Implications for treatment
Identify high-risk firefighters
No penalty or stigmatization
Potential interventions
Psychoeducation
Work redesign
Coping skills training
Relaxation training
Conflict-resolution training
Leadership training
Sleep hygiene education
 Coping Skills
Problem-focused coping Emotion-focused coping
Taking direct action Focusing on and venting
Planning emotions
Suppression of competing Behavioral disengagement
activities Mental disengagement
Restraint coping Positive reappraisal
Seeking social support Denial
Acceptance
Turning to religion