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Stress as a Bodily Response: Biological Psychology PSYA2, Schemes and Mind Maps of Biological Psychology

Scotland's Rural University College (SRUC)Biological Psychology

STRESS AS A BODILY RESPONSE – SYMPATHOMEDULLARY PATHWAY. THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. This consists of two parts. The Central Nervous System (CNS) and the Peripheral ...

Typology: Schemes and Mind Maps

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BIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY

STRESS AS A BODILY RESPONSE – SYMPATHOMEDULLARY PATHWAY

THE NERVOUS SYSTEM

This consists of two parts. The Central Nervous System (CNS) and the Peripheral Nervous System (PNS). The PNS connects the CNS to the rest of the body and within the PNS is the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS), which is divided into two divisions, the Sympathetic Nervous System and the Parasympathetic Nervous System. SYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM: is the reaction to a stressor. It chooses whether we go into ‘fight or flight’ mode and effects of this are constricted pupils, constricted airways, slow heartbeat, saliva and contracting bladder. Your heart and blood pressure increase and adrenalin and noradrenaline are released from the adrenal glands. The SNS and the Sympathetic Adrenal Medullary System (SAM) together make up the Sympathomedullary Pathway. The SAM at the same time the SNS prepares for flight or flight, releases adrenaline into the bloodstream rapidly. The Adrenal Medullar regulates it. Neurons of the SNS travel to the medulla so that it releases adrenaline and has widespread effects on the body such as boosting supply of oxygen and glucose to the brain. PARASYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM: is the process of returning the body to a relaxed and normal state. This allows the body to rest and digest. This leads to a relaxed bladder, relaxed airways, increased heartbeat, reduced blood pressure and normal respiration levels. STRESS AS A BODILY RESPONSE – PITUITARY ADRENAL SYSTEM PROCESS Activation of the hypothalamus releases Corticotrophin-‐Releasing-‐Hormone (CRH). CRH arrives in the Anterior Pituitary Gland and is stimulated to release Adrenocorticotrophic Hormones (ACTH) into the bloodstream. Corticosteroids are released into the bloodstream to convert fat and protein into energy. This replaces the energy that was used up by the Sympathomedullary Pathway when encountering a stressor.

RESEARCH INTO STRESS AND THE IMMUNE SYSTEM

SHORT TERM STRESSORS

Kiecolt-‐Glaser et al studied medical students before and during exam period. It showed that short-‐ term stressors reduced immune system functioning normally. In addition, Marucha et al studied wound healing by using a punch test. This was inflicted on students 3 days before an exam and during the summer holidays. It was found that the short-‐term stressor caused wounds to take 40% longer to heal than those done in the summer holidays. Taylor et al found that females have higher levels of oxytocin = faster recovery rate. It showed that males are more vulnerable to the effects of stress. STRESS RELATED ILLNESSES CARDIOVASCULAR Williams studied to find the correlation between anger and heart disease. 13,000 were asked to use a questionnaire on their anger responses. None of them at the time had any heart problems. However 6 years later, 256 of them experienced heart attacks. Higher scorers on the questionnaire were 2x more likely to have a heart attack. So anger = higher risk of heart problems. Russek studied high stress medics and low stress medics. He found that heart disease was greater in high-‐stress medics (e.g. G.P’s and Surgeons). It shows that stress can cause heart disease. EVALUATION: Sheps et al studied 173 people who had ischemia (reduced blood flow to the heart). They did a public speaking test and found that blood pressure soared and 44% of them died 3-‐ 4 years later. It concluded that stress = risk of death by heart problems. PSYCHIATRIC Depression – Melchoir et al did a longitudinal study of 1000 people and found that 15 % of those who had high stress jobs suffered from depression/stress that same year compared to 8% of those who had low stress jobs. PTSD – Vietnam War showed chronic stressors harmed soldiers mentally. EVALUATION: Stress could be caused by indirect factors. E.g. Stress > smoking/drinking> illness. Diathesis Stress Model shoes that stress is caused by biological problems e.g. viral infection in the womb.

WORKPLACE STRESSORS

Job Strain Model used by Marmot et al looked at Workload and Control. 7372 London civil servants answered questionnaires and were checked on cardiovascular performance. Workload: Marmot et al found no link between high workload and stress. However: Johansson et al looked at certain jobs that had repetitive tasks, attention and responsibility. In a Swedish Sawmill, a high-‐risk group (Sawyers) and a low-‐risk group (Maintenance) were compared. High-‐risk group had higher adrenaline levels and illness rates compared to the low group. High-‐risk group also had higher stress hormones on a working day than a rest day. Control: Marmot et al found that men and women in their study who had low-‐levels of job control were more likely to get heart disease than high-‐level job control participants. EVALUATION: -‐ Kivimaki ’s meta-‐analysis agrees that high-‐level job strain gives a 50% change of more likely getting CHD (Coronary Heart Disease). -‐ Work under load – Shultz et al gathered 16,000 employees in Europe and found under load = low job satisfaction which lead to stress. -‐ Workplace Stress + Mental Health: Low levels of vitamins lead to poor physical health so low levels of these work related features may lead to poor mental health. PERSONALITY FACTORS Type A Personality: Competitive, Aggressive, and Impatient Type B Personality: Easygoing, Relaxed, Patient and less likely to become Stressed Research on Type A Personality: Friedman and Rosenman conducted structured interviews to assess personalities. The results showed that after 8 ½ years later, twice as many Type A participants had died of Cardiovascular problems and 12% had just experienced a heart attack compared to just 6% of Type B’s. Type A also had higher cholesterol and blood pressure and more likely to smoke and have family history of CHD. EVALUATION: -‐ Ragland and Brand didn’t find a link between Type A and mortality after 22 years Friedman and Rosenman suggested so. Only 15% of Ragland and Brand’s study died. Hardy Personality: Kobasa and Maddi stated that some people had a more psychologically harder personality than others. These people provide defenses against the negative effects of stress. Control: they see themselves in control of situations. Commitment: They have a strong commitment of things around them. Challenge: See life challenges as problems, which can be overcome. Kobasa studied 800 business executives. He used the SRRS and 150 were classified as high stress. Some of these 150 have high illness records and some low so Kobasa found that individuals with high-‐stress and low-‐illness were more correlational towards the Hardy Personality. Maddi et al studied a US company that over the year reduced its workforce size. 2/3’s of employee’s suffered stress-‐related illnesses but the remaining third thrived. It showed hardiness attributed commitment, control and challenge. EVALUATION: -‐ Negative Affectivity (NA) can explain characteristics of Hardy Personality. High-‐NA individuals are more likely to report distress, dissatisfaction and dwell on failures. This suggests that Hardy individuals are simply those who are now on NA. -‐ Most of the research has for a link between hardiness and health is relied on self-‐reports and questionnaires. People can over/underestimate themselves on these.

PSYCHOLOGICAL METHODS OF STRESS MANAGEMENT

STRESS INOCULATION THERAPY (SIT)

This prepares person for stress now and in the future. It consists of three stages:

Conceptualization. Therapist – Client establish relationship. Client breaks down stressors and begins to think about them differently.
Skills Acquisition Phase. Skills on coping are taught to client. Method such as positive thinking, relaxation and social skills are used and client can give self-‐statements to reassure himself or herself such as “calm you Sarah”.
Application Phase. Clients can apply skills to different situations through techniques they have learned. They can do this through use of imagery, role-‐play and assistance. EVALUATION: -‐ Compared to systematic de sensitization. Patients used SIT or SDS to deal with snake phobias. SIT was better because it helped clients deal with phobias much better. -‐ Sheehy and Horan examined SIT on first year law students and they participated 4 weekly sessions. It displayed lower levels of stress. -‐ It can prepare for future stressors. -‐ It can improve confidence of people too. -‐ However it is time consuming, requires motivation and is unnecessarily complex (many methods). HARDINESS TRAINING This aims to increase self-‐confidence and control. It follows this procedure:
Focusing. Client taught how to recognize biological signs of stress and identify the source e.g. work.
Relieving Stress Encounters. Client receives stress encounters and has to analyze and cope with them. Improves their skills coping with them effectively in the future.
Self Improvement. Analysis of encounters can lead to a client move forward and effectively cope with stress. They see it as something they can control. EVALUATION: -‐ Utah State Valley offers this to at risk students. It helps them develop personally and professionally. -‐ Used in Olympic Swimmer teams as it can be stressing when they increase performance levels. They can see it as something they can cope with and manage. -‐ However it is not a quick way to cope with stress.