Health Psychology Ch. 13

Health Psychology Ch. 13 Music: “Stressed Out” A Tribe Called Quest “Under Pressure” Queen

Today’s Agenda • 1. The Field of Health Psychology • 2. Stress: • a) What makes events more stressful • b) Appraisal and coping • 3. Stress and Disease • a) The physiological response • b) Type A and heart disease • 4. Coping with Stress and Promoting Health • a) Relaxation • b) Social support • c) Exercise and nutrition • 5. Movies: • “Health and Stress” (6 min.) • “Weight Control” (6 min.)

1. The field of Health Psychology • Definition: • Concerned with the role of behavior and psychological factors in preventing illness and maintaining good health • 3 Major killers in Canada: • Heart Disease, Cancer, Stroke • Causes? • 1) Tobacco • #1 culprit for cancer • contributes also to heart disease • 2) Being overweight • emerges as second most important factor in cancer, after cigarettes • 3) Inactivity • Lack of exercise • 4) Stress • 5) Diet & Alcohol • Cancers caused by what you eat? • red meat and processed meats with nitrates • Excess alcohol related to several fatal illnesses

Health Psychology (cont’d) Changing patterns of illness, p. 564

2. Stress • Physical and psychological response to perceived environmental threat • Stressors • Threatening or challenging events that place demands on the person. • Major Life Events • Daily hassles • Catastrophic events • a) Factors that render events more harmful: • Unpredictability/ uncertainty • Pressure • Lack of control • Repeated exposure/ chronicity • Loss and Failure • Conflict (p. 566-567)

2. Stress: Conflict (cont’d)

2. b) Appraisal and Coping with Stress • Primary appraisal: • “Am I O.K., or in trouble?” • Secondary appraisal: • “How will I deal with this?” • Consider your ability to cope Appraisal Events Stress Emotional, physical & behavioural responses p. 570-578

2. b) Coping with Stress • Defensive Coping: • Avoiding negative feelings associated with stress through the use of defense mechanisms • e.g. denial, see p. 577 • Emotion focused: • Control or change emotional reaction: • E.g. venting, drinking, meditating (see p. 568) • Problem focused: • Change or do something about the situation: • E.g. study harder, get help • See constructive coping (p. 578 )

3. Stress and Disease • a) The fight-or-flight response: • See Figure 13.6, p. 574

3. Stress and Disease • a) The physiological response: • Secretion of catecholamines and corticosteroids • Increases energy • Also reduces the effectiveness of the immune system • Therefore, the ability to ward off infections is compromised • Natural killer cells can’t do their jobs as well • i.e. cannot destroy foreign agents or abnormal cells • Impaired healing process • Stress causes inflammation • Provokes illness

3. Stress and Disease (cont’d) • Physical disorders aggravated by stress:

3.b) Self-Report Questionnaire • See questions shown in class • Give yourself a point for each answer that agrees with the key below: • 1 a, b • 2 a • 3 a, b • 4 a • 5 a, b • 6 d • 7 c • 8 a • 9 c • 10 a

3. b) Type A and Heart Disease • 7 or above =Type A • 3 or below=Type B • Coronary heart disease: • Leading cause of death in North America • Atherosclerosis: narrowing of coronary arteries (buildup of fatty deposits) • Reduction in blood flow in coronary arteries (reduced supply to the heart) • Risk factors: • Physical inactivity • Smoking, obesity, family history • High cholesterol, high blood pressure • Depression: • Physiological hyper-arousal • Type A personality

3. b) Type A and Heart Disease (cont’d) • Friedman & Rosenman (1974) • 8-year study • 3,000 healthy men • Type A: Competitive • Impatient • Time-conscious/time-urgency • Easily-angered • Verbally aggressive • “workaholics” • Type B: Easy-going • Non-competitive, relaxed • Enjoys leisure time • Understanding/forgiving

3. b) Follow-up • After 8 years, 257 men suffered a heart attack • 69% of these were Type A. • What makes Type As more prone to heart disease? • 1) self-imposed stress • As all forms of stress, involves inflammation • Leads to platelet dysfunction and encourages coagulation • 2) more physiologically reactive to stress • 3) less social support • Toxic core of Type A: • cynical hostility

3. b) Type A and Heart Disease • p. 583

4. Coping with Stress and Promoting Health! • 1) Relaxation • Meditation: • Counteracts the effects of stress on the body • Biofeedback: The mind influences the body! • 2) Social Support: • Increases immune functioning/ suppression of corticosteroids • Related to release of oxytocin • Social interactions also boost intellectual performance • 3) Watch your Weight! • Single most important thing women can do to reduce risk of breast cancer • 4) Exercise: • Lowers risk of stroke, heart disease, diabetes, depression, high blood pressure AND improves overall brain health! • 3 X per week, 30-45 min. each time • Aim for Body Mass Index of 19-24/ BMI = weight (kg)/height (meters)²

4. Promoting Health! • 5) Nutrition: • Reduce “bad” fats (trans and saturated) • Reduce processed meats (with nitrates) • Reduce salt • Helps reduce blood pressure • Reduce sugary drinks • Related to weight gain and spikes in blood sugar levels • Eat more fish (increase omega 3’s) • May help depression • Increase calcium, vitamin D, whole grains • fruits and vegetables (to protect your heart) • 6) Reduce alcohol: • Especially for women and breast cancer

3rd Midterm • Next week Feb. 15th • Same as before: • 60 multiple choice; 4 short answers • In class; 2 hours; worth 25% of overall grade • One question from movies shown in class • Tackle the problem! • You know what to do… • & You’ll O.K.

5. Short Movies • “Health and Stress” • Studies by Sheldon Cohen determine the mechanisms by which stress affects the immune system, and how emotional states like happiness and loneliness may influence our ability to fight off infection. (6 min.) • “Weight Control” • Researchers are helping people respond to the obesity epidemic by determining the relative importance of intensity and duration in exercise. (6 min.)

Health Psychology Ch. 13