Emotions, Stress, and Health Chapter 11

1. Emotions, Stress, and HealthChapter 11 Social Support Set ups the discussion of the role of social support in dealing with stress

2. Emotions, Stress, and Health Promoting Health • Coping With Stress • Managing Stress Effects

3. Stress and Health Psychological states cause physical illness. Stress is any circumstance (real or perceived) that threatens a person’s well-being. Lee Stone/ Corbis When we feel severe stress, our ability to cope with it is impaired.

4. Stress and Health Stress can be adaptive. In a fearful or stress- causing situation, we can run away and save our lives. Stress can be maladaptive. If it is prolonged (chronic stress), it increases our risk of illness and health problems.

5. Stress and Stressors Stress is a slippery concept. At times it is the stimulus (missing an appointment) and at other times it is a response (sweating while taking a test).

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

7. Promoting Health Promoting health is generally defined as the absence of disease. We only think of health when we are diseased. However, health psychologists say that promoting health begins by preventing illness and enhancing well-being, which is a constant endeavor.

8. Coping with Stress 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.

9. Explanatory Style People with an optimistic (instead of pessimistic) explanatory style tend to have more control over stressors, cope better with stressful events, have better moods, and have a stronger immune system.

10. 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. Bob Daemmrich/ Stock, Boston

11. Perceived Control Research with rats and humans indicates that the absence of control over stressors is a predictor of health problems.

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

13. Social Support ScaleHandout 11 - 36 • Social Support Scale provided by Paul Insel and Walton Roth measures the extent to which a person receives or obtains social and psychological support from community activities, friends, and relatives.

14. Social Support ScaleHandout 11 - 36 • Complete handout

15. Social Support ScaleHandout 11 - 36 • Scoring: • A score is obtained by adding all the numbers below the lines with check marks (item 1) and all the circled numbers (items 2 through 7).

16. Social Support ScaleHandout 11 - 36 • Insel and Walton suggest the following interpretations: • 70 or more indicates high support, that is, a well-developed social support structure to counter the negative effects of stress; • 40 to 69 indicates moderate support, that is, sufficient areas of social support to counter the negative effects of stress; • less than 40 indicates low support, that is, lack of a minimum support structure to counter the negative effects of stress.

17. Social Support Scale • Why do you think having social support is important to health?

18. Support-Health Link • Possibly, people with strong social ties: • eat better, exercise more, smoke and drink less. • Perhaps social relationships help us: • to evaluate and overcome stressful events such as rejection. • Close relationships may also provide the opportunity to confide painful feelings. Recent research by Miller McPherson and colleagues indicates that the average American has only two close friends and that almost one in four has absolutely no one to confide in. The findings suggest that the number of friendless Americans has doubled over the last 20 years.

19. Support-Health Link • Close relationships may also provide the opportunity to confide painful feelings. • Recent research by Miller McPherson and colleagues indicates: • the average American has only two close friends and • that almost one in four has absolutely no one to confide in. • The findings suggest that the number of friendless Americans has doubled over the last 20 years.

20. Support-Health Link Does your college setting provide adequate social support? What difference, if any, does living on or off campus make? Do you think belonging the groups, clubs, etc. help you cope with stress?

21. Managing Stress Effects Aerobic exercise Biofeedback, Relaxation, and Meditation Life-Style Modification Spirituality & Faith Communities

22. 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.

23. Biofeedback, Relaxation, and Meditation Biofeedbacksystems use electronic devices to inform people about their physiological responses and gives them the chance to bring their response to a healthier range. Relaxation and meditation have similar effects in reducing tension and anxiety.

24. Life-Style Modification Modifying a Type-A lifestyle may reduce the recurrence of heart attacks. Ghislain and Marie David De Lossy/ Getty Images

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

26. Intervening Factors Investigators suggest there are three factors that connect religious involvement and better health.