PSYC 385 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Acute Stress Reaction, Adjustment Disorder, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Document Summary
Health psychology is concerned with the effects of stress on both mental and physical health. The efforts to deal with stress are coping strategies. Stress can be a continuous force that exceeds a person"s ability to manage it. We all experience different levels of stress and respond to stress in different ways. Characteristics that have been shown to improve ability to handle life"s stressors ( higher optimism, greater psychological control, increased self-esteem, and better social support). On the other hand, being a child and experiencing stress early in life make a person generally more sensitive to stress. The 5httlpr gene has both a short (s/s) and long (l/l) genotype. The (s/s) genotype is linked to being stress-sensitive while the (l/l) genotype is linked more to resilience. Key factors in a stressor that contribute to the amount of stress it causes are it"s:
