Cardiovascular disorders, which affect the heart and blood circulation system, are serious medical conditions that are central to the study of psychophysiological health. Extensive research has consistently demonstrated a strong link between these disorders and psychological factors, showing they are significantly influenced by stress and negative emotions like anger, negative affectivity, and depression.

Cardiovascular Disorders

Asthma is a chronic and serious respiratory disease characterized by the obstruction of airways, which makes it difficult to expel air from the lungs. This obstruction is a result of two primary factors: inflammation that causes the airway walls to thicken, and the tightening of muscles surrounding the airways, which leads to their narrowing. Consequently, individuals with asthma may experience recurring episodes of symptoms such as wheezing, chest tightness, shortness of breath, and coughing, which often occurs more frequently in the morning and at night.

Asthma

The immune system functions as the body's surveillance and defense network. It is composed of a complex array of structures, cells, and mechanisms designed to protect the body from invading microorganisms. A properly functioning immune system maintains health and prevents disease by identifying and eliminating harmful agents such as bacteria, viruses, and other foreign substances that could damage tissues and organs.

Immune System

Psychological disorders are broadly characterized as conditions involving abnormal thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. More formally, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) defines a psychological disorder as a syndrome that includes a clinically significant disturbance in an individual's cognition, emotion regulation, or behavior. This disturbance is understood to reflect a dysfunction in the underlying psychological, biological, or developmental processes of mental functioning and is typically associated with significant distress or impairment in important areas of life.

Psychological Disorders

Tension headaches are a common psychophysiological disorder characterized by a dull, aching pain often described as a tight band around the head. Stress and other emotional factors are known to be significant triggers that can either cause or worsen these headaches.

Tension Headaches

Psychophysiological disorders are physical diseases or conditions characterized by genuine physical symptoms. These symptoms are either initially caused or significantly worsened by stress and other emotional factors. The term itself highlights the interplay between psychological ('psycho') and physiological ('physiological') elements in these conditions.

Psychophysiological Disorders

Based on a comprehensive statistical review of numerous studies, researchers Friedman and Booth-Kewley proposed the concept of disease-prone personality characteristics. This idea suggests that certain personality traits, such as depression, anger/hostility, and anxiety, may predispose individuals to developing physical illnesses.

Disease-Prone Personality

The well-documented link between social class and health outcomes can be partly explained by the concept of perceived control. Research indicates that more affluent individuals generally report better health, a phenomenon attributed to their stronger belief in their ability to manage life's stressors. This sense of control acts as a psychological resource that influences health behaviors and responses to stress.

Relationship Between Social Status, Stress, and Health

The immune system is a primary biological pathway through which psychological stress can lead to or worsen physical illness. An effective analogy illustrates this relationship: stress is not the direct cause of illness (the 'sword that kills the knight'), but rather the factor that weakens the body's defenses (the 'sword that breaks the knight's shield'), with the immune system acting as that shield.

The Immune System as a Mediator Between Stress and Illness

A pioneering 2004 study offered a biological explanation for the 'haggard' appearance often associated with stressed individuals, proposing that chronic stress can hasten the aging process at the cellular level.

Stress-Induced Acceleration of Cellular Aging

Research indicates a connection between exposure to stressful life events and the development of asthma throughout an individual's life. This link is particularly evident with stressors involving parental or interpersonal conflicts.

Link Between Interpersonal Stress and Asthma Development

Numerous studies have provided evidence that stress has a detrimental effect on the body's immune system, weakening its ability to function properly. This compromised immunity is a key mechanism by which stress and emotional factors can contribute to the onset or exacerbation of physical diseases, such as psychophysiological disorders.

Stress-Induced Immune System Weakening

Profoundly negative health consequences can arise when stress becomes extreme or chronic. This prolonged stress is a significant contributor to the onset and progression of various psychological disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder and major depressive disorder, as well as a wide range of physical illnesses and diseases.

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Stress is a process through which an individual perceives and responds to events, known as stressors, that they appraise as overwhelming or threatening to their well-being. This cognitive appraisal of the event and one's ability to cope with it is a key determinant of the resulting physiological or psychological strain. While often viewed negatively, stress can also be an adaptive response to challenging situations.

Stress

Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020, April 22). Psychology (2nd ed.). OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/1-introduction

OpenStax Psychology (2nd ed.) Textbook

Research suggests that stress affects immunology mainly through autonomic nerves innervating lymphoid tissue, hormone-mediated alteration of immune cells, or adoption of coping behaviors.

Stress and Immunology

- Negative Life Events 
- Perceived Stress
- Negative Affect
- Social Isolation
- Socioeconomic Status

Factors contributing to Stress

Stress Hormones

- Cholesterol levels are used to identify coronary heart disease 
  - Could lead to atherosclerosis, which is plaque buildup in arteries
- Lipid levels increase in response to stress
- Increased cholesterol in the blood poses a risk for CHD, which then increases its permeability through the innermost layer of the blood vessel wall

Stress and Lipids

The Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course is a program where one is taught multiple practices of how to be accepting and non-judgemental of their present experiences or thoughts. In addition, individuals who participate in this course are taught mindfulness practices, such as being more mindful when eating or taking a walk and being more attentive with their breathing and body sensations. These practices often lead individuals to be more wise with how they respond to their external circumstances.

Critical Skill To Combat Stress Through Mindfulness

Stress is different for everyone as it is based on one's personality. Some stressors may affect some a lot more than others. Primary triggers that cause stress for most people externally consists of external related stress.

Causations of Stress

Stress can impact one's life mentally, emotionally, behaviorally, and physically. As many experiences stress differently, some may experience only a few or more symptoms in these categories.

Symptoms of Stress

When a paper you read mentions a form of stress, add it here as a bullet point, then create a concept child node defining it. Also make sure to add your reference to this node.
- Emotional Stress
- Stress caused via media
- Climate Grief
- Oxidative Stress
- Covid-19 Pandemic Stress
- Time Stress
- Anticipatory Stress
- Situational Stress
- Encounter Stress
- Workplace/Academia Stress
- Gender-related Stress
- Chronic illness and Stress
- Physical stress
- Psychological stress
- Psychosocial stress
- Psycho-spiritual stress
- Generational stress/ Generational trauma

Types of Stress

Stress reduction in the workplace can be done through group-based (instructor-lead) or computer-based (computer-presented format) intervention. However, compliance is more problematic in computer-based intervention since there is limited human supervision online, while individuals in clinician-guided mental health experienced greater improvement and satisfaction than computer-guided groups.

Group-based vs. Computer-based Stress-management Intervention

Men and women are at differential risk for mental illnesses. Different forms of response/adaptation could predispose men and women to different illnesses and health problems, such as psychophysiological differences between men and women in context of stress




Gender, Stress, and Health

Chronic and Acute Stress

Stress is a complex phenomenon that affects individuals in various ways. The study of stress has led to the development of several theories that attempt to explain its causes and effects.

Theories of stress

- Positive
- Tolerable
- Toxic
- Physiological
- Cognitive
- Behavioral

Types of Stress Responses

References for Stress

Previous research has illustrated that emotional processing plays a role in moral decision making. Brain areas such as the amygdala, hippocampus, the anterior cingulate cortex, and ventromedial prefrontal cortex, which play important roles in emotional processing when activated, also can potentially play a role in moral decision making. By extension, stress has been seen to play a role as well. 

Impact of Stress on Moral Decision-Making: Emotional Processing 

When trauma is experienced, the brain recognizes it as a threat and therefore activates a neurobiological stress response. Though this stress response can be beneficial in the moment to help protect a person from danger, repeated exposure to stress/trauma and thus, the repeated, overactivation of a neurobiological stess response, can negatively affect the mind and body. Exposure to traumatic stress during childhood can damage and/or alter a child's brain as it is developing. Such damage can affect their ability to learn in school and even affect them into adulthood. 


Childhood Traumatic Stress 

Dysfunctional attitudes are mostly caused by stressful life events. It can develop in people with no psychological disorders and in people with psychological disorders such as depression and anxiety when they encounter too much stress. 

Dysfunctional Attitudes and Stress

3 Types of Stress Responses

- Immunoprotective
- Immunoregulatory/inhibitory
- Immunopathological

3 Types of Stress Effects on Immunity 

Reference for Stress Sensitization Model

Stress sensitization model is a term used to describe the theory that suggests that a person might become sensitized to stress over the course of time to the point where successive episodes only require a decreasing amount of stress to trigger them. 

Stress Sensitization Model 

Academic stress refers to the stress students experience related to school. It can be as a result of a heavy workload and/or due to the pressure to perform well. 

Academic Stress 

The stress response is a complex and coordinated set of physiological reactions that the body activates when needed. These reactions are adaptive, preparing an individual to cope with situations perceived as dangerous or threatening.

Stress Response

Contributors to Stress Research and Understanding

Refers to perceived threatening or demanding stimuli, and in turn initiating the stress process.

Stressors

There are various ways one can manage and regular their stress. This may include:
- Coping 
- Social support
- Perceived control
- Stress reduction techniques
- Virtual reality stress treatment

Regulation of Stress

There are differences in the stress level of demographic groups with variances in the following characteristics:

- Sex
- Age
- Race
- Education
- Employment
- Income ($US)

Stress and Demographics

Defining stress with precision is challenging because it is a fairly vague and complex concept. This difficulty in establishing a single, universally accepted definition has led to the development of several different conceptualizations, including stimulus-based, response-based, and appraisal-based definitions, as well as the distinction between good and bad stress.

The Challenge of Defining Stress

Contrary to its common negative association, stress can function as a beneficial force. It often serves as a key motivator for individuals to engage in actions that are in their own best interest, such as preparing for exams, seeking regular medical care, exercising, and striving for excellence in the workplace.

Beneficial Aspects of Stress

Negative Health Consequences of Chronic and Extreme Stress

The study of stress and illness explores the relationship between psychological stress and physical health, examining how stress can contribute to the onset or worsening of various diseases.

Stress and Illness

The Social Readjustment Rating Scale is a self-report questionnaire used to operationally define stress. It requires individuals to identify stressful life events they have experienced in the past year, assigning specific points based on the severity of each event—such as a divorce ($$73$$ points) or changing jobs ($$36$$ points)—to calculate a total stress score.

Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS)

The Perceived Stress Scale is a specific operational definition utilized to quantify the abstract concept of stress. It serves as a self-report questionnaire where individuals provide scores that correspond to their level of perceived stress, thus transforming a theoretical variable into an observable and measurable format.

Perceived Stress Scale

Stress can be operationally defined using various physiological measures, beyond just self-report questionnaires. Researchers can quantify the stress response by recording specific biological variables within the body, such as elevated blood pressure levels or increased concentrations of the stress hormone cortisol.

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