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Homework answers / question archive / To prepare for this discussion, please read: Chapter 13: Social Psychology, stress, and Health Stress, Health and Illness: Four challenges for the future and the life stress Life Stress and Health: A review of Conceptual Issues and recent findings Watch Achieving a state of optimal Health stress and the health model – American Academy of Pediatrics: reaching Teens Video https://fod
To prepare for this discussion, please read:
In this discussion, you will consider social psychological variables that affect health. Note that you must utilize at least one relevant scholarly source in addition to your textbook for this discussion.
Also, in your discussion,
To fully demonstrate content knowledge and critical thinking,
Peer Responses: Review several of your classmates’ posts. Provide a substantive response to at least three of your peers in a minimum of 300 words (each reply), by Day 7 (Monday).
Observe the following guidelines for all responses:
Peer 1 response
There are many different social psychological variables that impact us and our health daily, some more than others. The variable I am choosing to discuss is stress. Stress can occur whether we have a positive or negative stressor, (Feenstra, J, 2020), which is why this is the variable I have chosen to discuss. Whether we are starting a new job, trying to work on an assignment for class, preparing for a presentation at work, we can experience stress.
There have been multiple studies surrounding how different stressors can impact health, of which many points to there being a correlation between stressors and mental health as well as physical health, (Stroebe, W, 2011). Different stressors can trigger depressive episodes, impact our immune system, and can cause chest pains, (Stroebe, W, 2011). A major life-changing event in an individual’s life can be considered a stressor, such as a divorce or loss of a loved one. These types of stressors can cause an individual to develop a sense of learned helplessness, (Stroebe, W, 2011). Learned helplessness occurs when one believes that a behavior will not change due to previous circumstance, (Feenstra, J, 2020). This in turn can lead to depressive episodes, (Stroebe, W, 2011), which can impact mental health overall.
How we cope with stress can also impact whether stressors impact our overall health. Coping is the way we react to stressors, (Segerstrom, S, & O’Connor, D, 2012). When we look at learned helplessness, we can assume that this would be an unhealthy form of coping, as it is the way we adapt to a behavior that has been consistent previously. In my own opinion, I find that this may play a role in victims of abuse. I have heard people refer to victims of domestic abuse as facing Stockholm syndrome, but I find that maybe having a sense of learned helplessness may also play a role here. This is simply a thought, but one I found worth mentioning. Social support, which is the support one gets from another individual, (Feenstra, J, 2020), may also play a role in avoiding learned helplessness by assisting one to deal with their current stressor. Social support has shown to assist individuals and have a positive effect, which according to our textbook, has been found across cultures, (Feenstra, J, 2020).
In conclusion, different stressors and life-changing events may impact our physical and psychological health overall, (Stroebe, W, 2011). It seems that this may vary from culture to culture as well, depending on different ways one’s culture may teach about handling stress while also providing social support. When one is faced with a life-changing stressor, they may be faced with depressive episodes and could potentially deal with learned-helplessness. Overall, stressors impact us in a multitude of ways. Thank you for taking the time to read my post.
Peer 2 Response
Well. My discussion will be about stress. Health and illness. Right now, in my life, there are not many stressful things that occur. Then there is life, the things that are going on in the world that are stressing me out how there is a pandemic going on. At the beginning of 2020, we had no clue. Then out of nowhere, three months later, COVID-19. How it was unbelievable at times I thought it was some type of scare tactic and then they locked the world down. Every emotion took over my body. Stress was at the top of the list. As stated in the reading. “The concept of stress has a long and productive history in health research” (Breznitz & Goldberger, 1993, p. 31). This was scary and I had to find a coping mechanism which was hard due to the news and the media. Watching and listening made me physically sick. And I did not want it to take over my mind. So, I had to disconnect from the television and social media for my mental state to stay intact.
The situational factor that I was faced with was stay locked in the house for a year in three months. No work, no socializing. I was afraid of everything and everybody. No visitors, just. To still have contracted covid19 the end of 2020 by receiving a grocery order, I was so scared, I thought due to me being asthmatic, I was sure to die due to everything I have seen and heard. However. I did not. And I am grateful for that. My face. Overpowered my fears. I prayed every day. As usual. Five times a day. And I asked in bed. To be granted. The strength. Physically and mentally. To get over. COVID-19
In the meantime, I still think about it, but I must. Store it in the back of my mind and just use precaution because life must go on even though they have come up with a vaccine. I do not want it. Because my body fought it off and my faith is much stronger today. So, I am cautious and careful. In everything I do. I have ventured back out. Into the world. By going back to work. I still have not. Going to markets. Or anything like that. I still order everything, go online, do too. I do not want to touch too much of anything. But I have. For a few months now I have gone back to work.
So, I said all of that to say. That there are different things in life that can be stressors and that can impact our daily lives. physically and psychologically. Everyone is different and handles situations differently. Especially life-changing situations like this pandemic. It saddens the heart. Some have suffered from depression, helplessness list Ness not knowing the unknown. This was a life changer and an eye-opener, a reality checks letting us know anything can happen and we should all stay prepared.
Peer 3 Response
Social support is a factor that plays a big roll in my life. Being a mother of two young sons, and working full time, while making sure my mental and physical health is being taken care of can be a lot at times. I have a great group of friends that are always there if I need to talk or need to get out of the house for a while. Having that little bit of support helps me keep going from day to day and knowing they love my kids too makes it even better. It makes my choice to get up every day and keep pushing for the better future of my family a little bit easier.
Some of my situational factors that impact my health is that I am a single mom, my children's father is in the military and his army schedule can be pretty unreliable withthings changing at the last minute so most of the day to day parenting falls on me. My youngest son also has a sensory processing disorder that involves occupational and behavior therapy to be in our schedules. Keeping up with all of the rolls of being a parent mostly on my own and working and school can lead to stress. It feels as if there are not enough hours in the day. With social media and just media in general make it hard to know if you are doing the right things and always leave you second guessing yourself. Along with the cultural influence of people thinking that as a mother you should focus all the attention on your children and less on work. But that is not always a choice when you need to provide a home and basic needs for your children
The stress of financially providing for two kids on your own, and one that needs expensive sensory tools to help them from day to day can lead to a lot of stress. “
Single parent families are at high risk of financial hardship which may impact on psychological well being.” (Stack, Meredith, 2017). Stress can end up causing health issues, such as high blood pressure. This is something that I have experience with. The stress of a day to day life as a mother student, and the unhealthy work environment had led to me being put on high blood pressure medication and beta blockers so I was in a safe and healthy range. My doctor had told me to cut down on stressors in my life but that didn't seem possible. After a year of my day to day being hard to manage and never feeling good, I quit my job and found one that was more willing to work with my schedule and I am now off of my medication for high blood pressure.
Not having the people to support you can make things a lot harder and it will make it easier to fall into a depression that makes you feel like you are in autopilot.
