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How do you define stress? Is stress something in the environment? Is it a physiological or psychological
reaction that occurs within a person? Most psychologists define stress as the physiological and psychological
response to a condition that threatens or challenges the individual and
requires some form of adaptation or adjustment. While stress is a psychological state, it
can significantly increase one’s risk of developing serious illnesses. The prognosis is even worse when people’s
feelings of stress are combined with unhealthy behaviours, such as smoking,
excessive alcohol consumption or lack of sleep. Unfortunately, as we become more stressed, we may use some of these
unhealthy behaviours as stress relievers or we may attempt to reduce stress by
staying up late and waking up early to get things done. In situations such as these, our behaviours
and our mental states work synergistically to drag us into an unhealthy cycle.
As a mental health specialist, you have been
asked to develop an Intervention Action
Plan for client information and distribution. You are expected to research this information
using sources other than your text (although your text may prove to be a useful
starting point). In this research compendium/portfolio you will include the
following sections:
1 Stress: This section can introduce the concept of
stress. Define and discuss the following
professional terminology that might better client understanding: Health psychology; Stress; Stressors; Acute
stress; Chronic Stress; Environmental psychology; Eustress, and; Distress
2 The Stress Response System: We all perceive stressors differently and
each of us has our own strategies for coping with stress. Having said this, we all have very similar
immediate psychological responses to stress. In this section, please include client-friendly information on the Fight or Flight Response, the General
Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) and any Alternative
Stress Responses that you might discover.
3 Stressful Life Events: In
our lives we encounter stress in varying forms and degrees of severity. Clients may be surprised to discover that the
cumulative impact of what we perceive to be minor stressor may be just as
significant as the impact of one large-scale event. In this section, provide information (define
and explain the how these events relate to and affect stress levels) on the
following areas to better client understanding: Catastrophes (include Post-traumatic
Stress); Burnout; Significant Life Changes, and; Daily Hassles. 4 Stress
and Its Impact on Health: Just as
laughter can improve our health, stress can cause our health to
deteriorate. Use this section to inform
clients of following: Stress and the Heart,
Stress and the Immune System, Stress and HIV/AIDS, Stress and Cancer and,
Stress and Somatoform Disorders.
5 Coping
with Stress: Take a moment and think about it: How do you cope with stress? Everybody has a different answer. There are many coping strategies that can be
useful. In this section explore, explain
and provide examples of the following: Coping;
Anticipatory Coping (worries react to stressors before they are even a
reality); Problem-focused coping (a
response aimed at reducing, modifying or eliminating a source of stress) and Emotion-focused coping (a response
aimed at reducing the emotional impact of the stressor).
6 Stress
Management: Use this section to equip clients with hands on, useful
information they may use to manage stress. Please use this section to explore the different options available in
the management of stress. Include and
discuss the benefits of: Social Support; Exercise, Relaxation and
Meditation. Your research may
provide you with additional techniques, please include them here.
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