16. Stress and Health

Describe stress, its impact on the body, and identify common stressors

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• Describe various definitions of stress, including the difference between stimulus-based and response-based stress and good stress and bad stress

• Describe different types of possible stressors, including major life readjustments and the connection between stressors, job strain, and job burnout

Explain the negative physiological responses to stress

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• Describe the contributions of Walter Cannon (fight or flight) and Hans Selye (general adaptation syndrome) to the stress research field

• Explain what occurs in the sympathetic nervous system and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis during stress

• Describe how stress impacts the functioning of the immune system

• Describe how stress and emotional factors can lead to the development and exacerbation of cardiovascular disorders

Explain methods for coping with and reducing stress

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• Define coping and differentiate between problem-focused and emotion-focused coping

• Describe the importance of perceived control in our reactions to stress

• Explain how social support is vital in health and longevity

• Identify common stress reduction techniques

Describe happiness and flow

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• Define and discuss happiness, including its determinants and how to increase it

• Describe the field of positive psychology and identify the kinds of problems it addresses

• Give examples of flow

Explain habit formation and the importance of habitual behavior

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• Examine the importance of habitual behavior in our daily lives

• Describe research done to learn about habitual behaviors

• Describe ways to develop healthy, new habits

Essential Concepts

Defining Stress

Stress is a process whereby an individual perceives and responds to events appraised as overwhelming or threatening to one’s well-being. The scientific study of how stress and emotional factors impact health and well-being is called health psychology, a field devoted to studying the general impact of psychological factors on health. The body’s primary physiological response during stress is the fight-or-flight response, which  involves the coordinated activity of both the sympathetic nervous system and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Hans Selye, a noted endocrinologist, referred to these physiological reactions to stress as part of general adaptation syndrome, which occurs in three stages: alarm reaction (fight-or-flight reactions begin), resistance (the body begins to adapt to continuing stress), and exhaustion (adaptive energy is depleted, and stress begins to take a physical toll).

Stressors can be chronic (long term) or acute (short term), and can include traumatic events, significant life changes, daily hassles, and situations in which people are frequently exposed to challenging and unpleasant events. Many potential stressors include events or situations that require us to make changes in our lives, such as a divorce or moving to a new residence. The Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS) can be used to measure stress by assigning a number of life change units (LCUs) to life events that typically require some adjustment, including positive events. Although the SRRS has been criticized on a number of grounds, extensive research has shown that the accumulation of many LCUs is associated with increased risk of illness. Many potential stressors also include daily hassles, which are minor irritations and annoyances that can build up over time. In addition, jobs that are especially demanding, offer little control over one’s working environment, or involve unfavorable working conditions can lead to job strain, thereby setting the stage for job burnout.

Stress and Illness

Psychophysiological disorders are physical diseases that are either brought about or worsened by stress and other emotional factors. One of the mechanisms through which stress and emotional factors can influence the development of these diseases is by adversely affecting the body’s immune system. A number of studies have demonstrated that stress weakens the functioning of the immune system. Cardiovascular disorders are serious medical conditions that have been consistently shown to be influenced by stress and negative emotions, such as anger, negative affectivity, and depression. Other psychophysiological disorders that are known to be influenced by stress and emotional factors include asthma and tension headaches.

Regulating Stress

When faced with stress, people must attempt to manage or cope with it. In general, there are two basic forms of coping: problem-focused coping and emotion-focused coping. Those who use problem-focused coping strategies tend to cope better with stress because these strategies address the source of stress rather than the resulting symptoms. To a large extent, perceived control greatly impacts reaction to stressors and is associated with greater physical and mental well-being. Social support has been demonstrated to be a highly effective buffer against the adverse effects of stress. Extensive research has shown that social support has beneficial physiological effects for people, and it seems to influence immune functioning. However, the beneficial effects of social support may be related to its influence on promoting healthy behaviors. There are various means of managing stress, including exercise, relaxation and meditation techniques such as the relaxation response, and biofeedback, all of which have shown to be effective in reducing the physiological and psychological effects of stress.

Happiness and Flow

Happiness is conceptualized as an enduring state of mind that consists of the capacity to experience pleasure in daily life, as well as the ability to engage one’s skills and talents to enrich one’s life and the lives of others. Although people around the world generally report that they are happy, there are differences in average happiness levels across nations. Although people have a tendency to overestimate the extent to which their happiness set points would change for the better or for the worse following certain life events, researchers have identified a number of factors that are consistently related to happiness. In recent years, positive psychology has emerged as an area of study seeking to identify and promote qualities that lead to greater happiness and fulfillment in our lives. These components include positive affect, optimism, and flow.

Stress and Health Cheat Sheet from Lumen One Introduction to Psychology, Lumen Learning, https://lumenlearning.com/, CC BY.

Psychology, 2e, OpenStax, https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/, CC BY.

David Wiley