Types of Stress and Coping

Not all stress is bad stress. In fact, a little bit of short-term stress keeps you motivated. Acute stressors such as public speaking, taking an exam, or parachuting from a perfectly good airplane usually cause an immediate and intense stress response. Occasional acute stress actually has a positive effect on immune function. A single episode of acute stress doesn’t usually cause a problem for the healthy adult.

Consider the chronic stress of being a family caregiver to an Alzheimer’s patient. Betty has been caring for Fred since he was diagnosed. She is not sleeping well because more than once she has awakened during the night to find that Fred has turned on the stove. Also, finances are tight because of the cost of care and resources Fred needs. Fred is increasingly more angry and confused. This chronic, relentless stress has cumulative effects on Betty’s immune function. Her ability to cope is stretched, and her own health issues, seemingly minor compared to Fred’s, are ignored. There are few opportunities for Betty to rest and return to a calm baseline. As a result, she becomes ill.

Distant stress, another type of stress that stems from previous trauma, can be unrelenting and influence immune function for years. For example, the long years of posttraumatic stress disorder’s (PTSD) wearing effects on the immune system does cumulative damage to health.
For this Discussion, review this week’s Learning Resources. Review the concepts of acute, chronic, and distant stress. Also, re-examine the “Pathways of Stress” graphic from Week 1. Then consider the characteristic and physiological differences of these three types of stress, how each impacts the immune system, and the populations most at risk or least susceptible to these types of stress and why. Finally, reflect on how stress management approaches might be different for specific examples of acute, chronic, and distant stress.

With these thoughts in mind:

By Day 3

D1-A: Students with a last name beginning with letters A–M, post by Day 3 a brief description of differences between acute, chronic, and distant stress. Then explain the differing effects these types of stress have on the immune system. Finally, provide an example of one population at particular risk for acute stress, one population at particular risk for chronic stress, and one population at particular risk for distant stress and explain why. Be specific.

Required Readings

Carver, C. S. (2011). Coping. In R. J. Contrada & A. Baum (Eds.), The handbook of stress science: Biology, psychology, and health (pp. 221–229). New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company.

Dallman, M. F., & Hellhammer, D. (2011). Regulation of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis, chronic stress, and energy: The role of brain networks. In R. J. Contrada & A. Baum (Eds.), The handbook of stress science: Biology, psychology, and health (pp. 11–36). New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company.

Finan, P. H., Zautra, A. J., & Wershba, R. (2011). The dynamics of emotion in adaptation to stress. In R. J. Contrada & A. Baum (Eds.), The handbook of stress science: Biology, psychology, and health (pp. 209–220). New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company.

Smith, C. A., & Kirby, L. D. (2011). The role of appraisal and emotion in coping and adaptation. In R. J. Contrada & A. Baum (Eds.), The handbook of stress science: Biology, psychology, and health (pp. 195–208). New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company.

Carver, C. S., Scheier, M. F., & Weintraub, J. K. (1989). Assessing coping strategies: A theoretically based approach. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 56(2), 267–283. Retrieved from the Walden Library using the PsycARTICLES database.

Lilly, M. M., & Graham-Bermann, S. A. (2010). Intimate partner violence and PTSD: The moderating role of emotion-focused coping. Violence and Victims, 25(5), 604–616. Retrieved from the Walden Library using the MEDLINE with Full Text database.

Schwabe, L., Dickinson, A., & Wolf, O. T. (2011). Stress, habits, and drug addiction: A psychoneuroendocrinological perspective. Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology, 19(1), 53–63. Retrieved from the Walden Library using the PsycARTICLES database.

Flook, L., Goldberg, S. B., Pinger, L., Bonus, K., & Davidson, R. J. (2013). Mindfulness for teachers: A pilot study to assess effects on stress, burnout and teaching efficacy. Mind, Brain and Education : The Official Journal of the International Mind, Brain, and Education Society, 7(3).
Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC38556…

University of Miami, Department of Psychology. (2007). Cope. Retrieved from http://www.psy.miami.edu/faculty/ccarver/sclCOPEF….

Carver, C. S., Scheier, M. F., & Weintraub, J. K. (1989). Cope questionnaire. Retrieved from http://www.psy.cmu.edu/faculty/scheier/scales/COPE…
COPE Questionnaire by Carver, C. S., Scheier, M. F. & Weintraub, J. K. (1989). In Assessing coping strategies: a theoretically based approach in Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 56. Copyright 1989 by American Psychological Association. Reprinted by permission of American Psychological Association via the Copyright Clearance Center.