1. Myers EXPLORING PSYCHOLOGY (6th Edition in Modules)
Stress and Illness
James A. McCubbin, PhD
Clemson University
Worth Publishers

2. Stress and Illness Stress
the process by which we perceive and respond to certain events, called stressors, that we appraise as threatening or challenging

3. Stress Appraisal Appraisal Response Stressful event (tough math test)
Threat
(“Yikes! This is
beyond me!”)
Challenge
(“I’ve got to apply
all I know”)
Panic, freeze up
Aroused, focused
Appraisal
Response

4. Stress and Illness General Adaptation Syndrome
resistance
Phase 1
Alarm
reaction
(mobilize
resources)
Phase 2
Resistance
(cope with
stressor)
Phase 3
Exhaustion
(reserves
depleted)
The body’s resistance to stress can
last only so long before exhaustion sets in
Stressor
occurs
General Adaptation Syndrome
Selye’s concept of the body’s adaptive response to stress in three stages

5. Stress and Health Behavioral Medicine Health Psychology
interdisciplinary field that integrates behavioral and medical knowledge and applies that knowledge to health and disease
Health Psychology
subfield of psychology that provides psychology’s contribution to behavioral medicine

6. Stressful Life Events
Chronic Stress by Age

7. Stressful Life Events Catastrophic Events Life Changes Daily Hassles
earthquakes, combat stress, floods
Life Changes
death of a loved one, divorce, loss of job, promotion
Daily Hassles
rush hour traffic, long lines, job stress, burnout

8. Perceived Control
Equality and Longevity

9. Stress and the Heart Hopelessness scores Heart attack Death 3.5 3 2.5
1.5 1
0.5
Heart attack
Death
Low risk
Moderate risk
High risk
Men who feel extreme hopelessness
are at greater risk for heart attacks
and early death

10. Stress and the Heart Coronary Heart Disease
clogging of the vessels that nourish the heart muscle
leading cause of death in many developed countries

11. Stress and the Heart Type A Type B
Friedman and Rosenman’s term for competitive, hard-driving, impatient, verbally aggressive, and anger-prone people
Type B
Friedman and Rosenman’s term for easygoing, relaxed people

12. Stress and Disease Psychophysiological Illness “mind-body” illness
any stress-related physical illness
some forms of hypertension
some headaches
distinct from hypochondriasis-- misinterpreting normal physical sensations as symptoms of a disease

13. Stress and Disease Lymphocytes
two types of white blood cells that are part of the body’s immune system
B lymphocytes form in the bone marrow and release antibodies that fight bacterial infections
T lymphocytes form in the thymus and, among other duties, attack cancer cells, viruses, and foreign substances

14. Stress and Disease Conditioning of immune suppression UCS (drug) UCR
(sweetened
water) CR
Conditioning of immune suppression

15. poor nutrition and sleep)
Stress and Disease
Negative emotions and health-related consequences
Unhealthy behaviors
(smoking, drinking,
poor nutrition and sleep)
Persistent stressors
and negative
emotions
Release of stress
hormones
Heart
disease
Immune
suppression
Autonomic nervous
system effects
(headaches,
hypertension)