Stress, Coping, and Health

Quick Review

Stress and Stressors

• Stress is defined differently by different researchers.
• One definition of stress is the experience of being threatened by taxing circumstances.
• Stress depends on how environmental events are appraised.
• Stressors can be associated with poor health if they are chronic, highly disruptive, or perceived as uncontrollable.
• Three types of stressors are catastrophic events, major life changes, and minor hassles.
• Stress is produced when people experience frustration, conflict, or pressure.
• Hans Selye proposed that the stress response consists of a general adaptation syndrome, which has three stages: alarm, resistance, and exhaustion.
• In stressful situations, the brain sends signals to the rest of the body along two pathways.

Coping

• Coping refers to efforts to manage stress.
• Coping can be adaptive or maladaptive.
• Adaptive coping involves direct confrontation of problems, realistic appraisals, recognizing and modifying unhealthy emotional reactions, and protecting bodily health.
• Maladaptive coping includes behaviors such as using alcohol and drugs to escape problems.
• There are many different coping strategies.
• Factors that improve coping include social support, optimism, and perceived control.

Stress and Disease

• Chronic stress is linked to the development of many psychological and physical problems.
• Stress can affect the immune system.
• Depression, type A behavior and hostility, and emotional inhibition are associated with health problems.
• Lifestyle features that endanger health include smoking, poor nutrition, and lack of exercise.
• After developing illness symptoms, people’s behavior influences the likelihood that they will get better.
• People often delay seeking medical treatment for a variety of reasons.
• Health care providers and patients often have communication problems.
• People sometimes don’t adhere to treatment regimens.