Stress & Health

Stress
• Stress - the term used to describe the
physical, emotional, cognitive, and
behavioral responses to events that are
appraised as threatening or challenging.
• Stressors - events that cause a stress
reaction.
• Distress - the effect of unpleasant and
undesirable stressors.
• Eustress - the effect of positive events, or
the optimal amount of stress that people
need to promote health and well-being.
 LO 11.3 Kinds of experiences causing stress

Causes of Stress
• Catastrophe - an
unpredictable, large-
scale event that
creates a
tremendous need to
adapt and adjust as
well as
overwhelming
feelings of threat.

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Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD
• a disorder resulting from exposure to a
major stressor, with symptoms of
anxiety, nightmares, poor sleep, reliving
the event, and concentration problems,
lasting for more than one month
 LO 11.3 Kinds of experiences causing stress

Causes of Stress
• Major Life Events - cause stress by requiring
adjustment.

• Hassles - the daily annoyances of everyday life.

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 Everyday Sources of Stress
Pressure - the psychological experience
produced by urgent demands or expectations for
a person’s behavior that come from an outside
source.

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Everyday Sources of Stress
Uncontrollability - the
degree of control that
the person has over
a particular event or
situation. The less
control a person has,
the greater the
degree of stress.
 Everyday Sources of Stress
Frustration - the
psychological
experience produced
by the blocking of a
desired goal or
fulfillment of a
perceived need.
 Everyday Sources of Stress
Conflict - psychological experience of being pulled
toward or drawn to two or more desires or goals, only
one of which may be attained.
 LO 11.5 Suicide
Suicide
• Suicidal behavior is highly
linked to depression and
hopelessness
• “exit events” – loss of social
support
• People who talk about
suicide should be taken
seriously and need help.

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 Philippine Statistics on suicide
• The suicide rate among Filipinos has gone up in the
last 21 years with the majority of cases involving
young people aged 24 years old and below, according
to studies.
Philippine Statistics on suicide
• The most vulnerable age group was between
20-29 years old, mostly single males,
unemployed, and most had some years in
high school
• A majority of the patients were diagnosed to
have Chronic Schizophrenia, Unspecified
Type
• Majority of the suicides manifested
depressed, anxious, withdrawn, and agitated
behavior prior to their committing suicide
 Philippine Statistics on suicide
• Most of the suicidal deaths occurred during the months
of July (23.5%) and May (17.6%), and usually during the
night shift between 11 pm and 7 am.
• Data from a private university general hospital (1986)[4]
showed a predominance of females admitted at the
emergency room for self-harm. The most common
methods of inflicting self-harm were overdose (isoniazid,
paracetamol, and pesticides), shooting, jumping and
hanging. Although there were more female admissions,
mortality was higher among males.
• Those who need help may call the following numbers:
0917-5724673; 0917-5584673; 0917-8524673; 0917-
8425673; 2114550; 2111305 and 8937606.
•
 LO 11.9 Relationship between stress and personality

Stress and Personality

• Type A personality - person who is ambitious, time conscious,
extremely hardworking, and tends to have high levels of hostility
and anger as well as being easily annoyed.

• Type B personality - person who is relaxed and laid-back, less

driven and competitive than Type A, and slow to anger.

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 LO 11.9 Relationship between stress and personality

Stress and Personality

• Type C personality - pleasant but repressed
person, who tends to internalize his or her
anger and anxiety and who finds expressing
emotions difficult.
• Hardy personality - a person who seems to
thrive on stress but lacks the anger and
hostility of the Type A personality.

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 LO 11.9 Relationship between stress and personality

Stress and Personality

• Optimists - people who expect positive
outcomes.
• Pessimists - people who expect
negative outcomes.

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LO 11.8 Relationship between stress and the
immune system

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 COPING WITH STRESS

• Problem-focused coping – work on eliminating or

changing the stressor itself.
• Emotion focused coping- changing the way a person
feels or emotionally reacts to a stressor
• Culture and religion
 LO 11.16 Ways to promote wellness in one’s life

Factors Promoting Wellness

• Exercise
• Social activities
• Getting enough sleep
• Eating healthy foods
• Having fun
• Managing one’s time
• Practicing good coping skills
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28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give
you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle
and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke
is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28