Social Support and

Stress: The Influence of

Teachers
By Asia Shorter

What is Stress?

A stressor refers to anything that describes psychological balance in and

the stress response is how the body adapts and accommodates to
reestablish balance (Sapolsky, 2002).

Stress, Body, and Mind

When stressor is perceived, the brain and the immune system activate
this stress responses in order to regulate the body. The hypothalamic
pituitary adrenal axis (HPA) is the bodys the way of maintains its
functions in time of stress and determines how one response to a
stressor.

The hypothalamus sends corticotrophin -releasing hormone (CRH) to the

pituitary gland, located below the hypothalamus. The pituitary gland
then sends adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) to the adrenal gland,
located on top of the kidneys. The adrenal glands than produces cortisol
(Sapolsky, 2002).

The Parasympathetic Nervous System

(PNS)

The PNS calms the body down.

It promotes growth and digestion
Slows down the heart rate and slows breathing

Social Support and Stress

The National Cancer institute definition of social support is a network of

family, friends, neighbors, and community members that is available in
times of need to give psychological, physical, and financial help (2015).

Teachers and Students

During adolescence, students spend a large amount of time at school.

During this time, relationships between students and teachers can be
created.

Having social support can help stimulate the parasympathetic nervous

system making the person calm down and lower their heart rate. This
will allow the individual to return to homeostasis.

Teachers and Students

Coping and emotional regulation are related to students academic

performance and proceed academic stress.

Teacher-students relationships influences adolescents academic

trajectories (Arsenio, 2014). Coping can include trying to fix problems
and emotional regulation, but coping can include trying avoid and deny
issues and the use of wishful thinking (Arsenio, 2014).