EXPLORING PSYCHOLOGY EIGHTH EDITION IN MODULES David Myers PowerPoint Slides Aneeq Ahmad Henderson State University Worth Publishers, © 2011

2 Emotions, Stress, and Health

Stress and Health Module 29 3

4 Stress and Illness  The Stress Response System  Stressful Life Events Stress and the Heart

Stress and Susceptibility to Disease  Stress and the Immune System  Stress and AIDS  Stress and Cancer  THINKING CRITICALLY ABOUT: Complementary and Alternative Medicine 5

Promoting Health  Coping With Stress  CLOSE-UP: Pets Are Friends, Too  Managing Stress  CLOSE-UP: The Relaxation Response 6

7 Stress and Illness Stress is the process by which we perceive and respond to certain events, called stressors, that we appraise as threatening or challenging. Ben Carpenter experienced a wild ride when his wheelchair was stuck to the grill of a truck.

8 Stress and Illness Stress is not merely a stimulus or a response. It is a process by which we appraise and cope with environmental threats and challenges. When short-lived or taken as a challenge, stressors may have positive effects. However, if stress is threatening or prolonged, it can be harmful. Bob Daemmrich/ The Image Works

9 Stress can have positive effects. A momentary stress can mobilize the immune system. But, stress can also threaten us. If it is prolonged (chronic stress), it increases our risk of illness and health problems. Stress and Illness

10 The Stress Response System Cannon proposed that the stress response (fast) was a fight-or-flight response marked by the outpouring of epinephrine and norepinephrine from the inner adrenal glands, increasing heart and respiration rates, mobilizing sugar and fat, and dulling pain.

11 General Adaptation Syndrome According to Selye, a stress response to any kind of stimulation is similar – general adaptation syndrome (GAS). The stressed individual goes through three phases.

12 Stressful Life Events Research has focused on three types of stressors: Catastrophies: Unpredictable, large-scale events like wars, and natural disasters that lead individuals to become depressed, sleepless, and anxious. Significant Life Changes: Life transitions such as a marriage, divorce, death of a loved one, or loss of a job. These changes are often felt most in young adulthood, contributing to high levels of reported stress in those under 50. Daily Hassles: Everyday annoyances such as traffic, long lines, long to-do lists, and spam. These may be the most significant contributors to stress. Over time they can add up and take a toll on health.

13 Stress and the Heart Stress that leads to elevated blood pressure may result in coronary heart disease, a clogging of the vessels that nourish the heart muscle. Although infrequent before 1900, by 1950 it was North America’s leading cause of death, and remains so today.

14 Personality Types Type A is a term used for competitive, hard- driving, impatient, verbally aggressive, and anger-prone people. Type B refers to easygoing, relaxed people (Friedman and Rosenman, 1974). Type A personalities are more likely to develop coronary heart disease.

15 Pessimism and Heart Disease Pessimistic adult men are twice as likely to develop heart disease over a 10-year period (Kubzansky et al., 2001).

16 Stress & Susceptibility to Disease A psychophysiological illness is any stress-related physical illness such as hypertension and some headaches. Stress also affects the immune system.

17 Stress and the Immune System Your immune system is a complex surveillance system that defends your body. It includes two types of white blood cells called lymphocytes. B lymphocytes fight bacterial infections, T lymphocytes attack cancer cells and viruses. There are also macrophages which ingest foreign substances and natural killer cells which pursue diseased cells. During stress, energy is mobilized away from the immune system making it vulnerable.

18 Stress and the Immune System Stress depressed the immune system leading to slower healing of wounds and greater vulnerability to infection. People with the highest life stress scores were also most vulnerable when exposed to a cold virus.

19 Stress and AIDS Stress and negative emotions may accelerate the progression from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) to acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). UNAIDS/ G. Pirozzi

20 Stress and Cancer Stress does not create cancer cells. Researchers disagree on whether stress influences the progression of cancer. However, they do agree that avoiding stress and having a hopeful attitude cannot reverse advanced cancer.

Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) includes as yet unproven health care treatments intended to supplement (complement) or serve as alternatives to conventional medicine. 21 Complementary and Alternative Medicine

22 Health-Related Consequences Stress can have a variety of health-related consequences.

23 Promoting Health We tend to only think of health when we are diseased. However, health psychologists say that promoting health begins by reducing stress, preventing illness, and enhancing well-being.

24 Coping with Stress Because stressors are unavoidable, coping - alleviating stress using emotional, cognitive, or behavioral methods - is essential. Reducing stress by changing events that cause stress or by changing how we react to stress is called problem-focused coping. Emotion-focused coping is when we cannot change a stressful situation, and we respond by attending to our own emotional needs.

25 Perceived Control Research with rats and humans indicates that the absence of control over stressors is a predictor of health problems. This may help explain the link between economic status and longevity.

26 Optimism and Health Studies indicate that our basic outlook can influence how we deal with stress. Optimists (rather than pessimists) perceive more control, cope better with stressful events, and enjoy better health

27 Social Support Supportive family members, marriage partners, and close friends help people cope with stress. Their immune functioning calms the cardiovascular system and lowers blood pressure.

28 Managing Stress Effects Having a sense of control, an optimistic explanatory style, and social support can reduce stress and improve health.

29 Aerobic Exercise Can aerobic exercise boost spirits? Many studies suggest that aerobic exercise can elevate mood and well- being because aerobic exercise raises energy, increases self- confidence, and lowers tension, depression, and anxiety.

30 Relaxation and Meditation Dozens of studies have found that relaxation procedures can help alleviate hypertension, anxiety, headaches, and insomnia Recurrent heart attacks and life-style modification.

31 Spirituality & Faith Communities Regular religious attendance has been a reliable predictor of a longer life span with a reduced risk of dying.

32 Spirituality and Health Investigators suggest there are three factors that connect religious involvement and better health.