Term
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Definition
| The negative emotional and physiological process that occurs as individuals try to adjust to or deal with stressors. |
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Term
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Definition
| Environmental circumstances that disrupt or threaten to disrupt peoples daily functioning and cause people to make adjustments. |
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Term
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Definition
| Sudden, unexpected, potentially life-threatening events or traumas. Examples include accidents, assaults, or natural disasters. |
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Term
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Definition
| Events that call for adjustment. Examples include divorce, family illness, unemployment, and moving to a new place. |
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Term
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Definition
| Continue over a long period of time. Examples are living near a noisy airport, experiencing discrimination, and living under the threat of terrorism. |
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Term
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Definition
| Minor irritations, pressures, and annoyances whose effects add up to become significant. Examples include daily commuting in heavy traffic that can result in road rage at times. |
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Term
| The Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS) |
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Definition
| Measures stressors according to the degree to which they require a change (good or bad) in ones life. |
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Term
| The life experiences survey (LES) |
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Definition
| Measures which life events occurred, peoples perceptions of how positive or negative the events were, and how well they were able to cope with the events. Respondents can also write in any stressors they experienced that were not on the LES list. |
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Term
| General adaptation syndrome (GAS) |
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Definition
| A consistent, three-stage pattern of physical responses to any lasting stressor. |
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Term
| The alarm reaction, GAS first stage |
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Definition
| An immediate reaction to a stressor and consists of the fight-or-flight syndrome (increased heart rate, rapid breathing, sweating, and so on) to mobilize the body for rapid action. |
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Term
| Resistance stage, GAS second stage |
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Definition
| The signs of initial alarm subside as the body settles in to combat the stressor on a long-term basis. |
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Term
| Exhaustion, GAS third stage |
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Definition
| If stressors continue, biochemicals stores are exhausted. Physical wear and tear takes its toll, producing diseases of adaptation, such as heart disease, arthritis, and colds, and so on. |
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Term
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Definition
| Include fear, anger, irritability, and anxiety. They are usually temporary. |
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Term
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Definition
| Includes reduced ability to concentrate, think clearly, or remember accurately. |
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Term
| Stress behavioral changes |
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Definition
| include changes in how people look, act, or talkfacial expressions, perspiration, a shaky voice, muscle spasms, jumpiness, aggressive behaviors, and so on. |
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Term
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Definition
| The recurring intrusion of thoughts about stressful events. |
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Term
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Definition
| Dwelling on and overemphasizing possible negative consequences of events, interferes with cognitive abilities and intensifies emotional and physiological arousal. |
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Term
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Definition
| An intensifying pattern of physical and psychological dysfunction due to a continuous flow of stressors or to chronic stress. People experiencing burnout may become uncharacteristically apathetic, impulsive, accident-prone, irritable, and depressed. |
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Term
| Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) |
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Definition
| A pattern of severe negative reactions following a traumatic event. It may include anxiety, irritability, jumpiness, poor concentration, sexual problems, impaired social relationships, sleep disturbances, and suppressed immune system functioning. Sufferers often relive the original trauma in nightmares or vivid memories or, rarely, in flashbacks, where the person behaves as if the trauma is actually occurring again. |
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Term
| Problem-focused coping methods |
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Definition
| Try to alter or eliminate the source of stress. |
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Term
| Emotion-focused coping methods |
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Definition
| Try to regulate the negative emotional consequences of stress. |
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Term
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Definition
| A particularly important risk factor for heart disease is a stress response of hostility, especially when accompanied by irritability and impatience. |
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Term
| Cognitive coping strategies |
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Definition
| Change how people think about stressors. |
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Term
| Emotional coping strategies |
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Definition
| Such as seeking social support, provide buffers against stresss ill effects. |
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Term
| Behavioral coping strategies |
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Definition
| Such as time management, involve altering behavior patterns to minimize the impact of stressors. |
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Term
| Physical coping strategies |
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Definition
| Aimed at directly altering physical responses before, during, or after stressors. Examples include drug use, progressive relaxation training, physical exercise, biofeedback, meditation, tai chi, and so on. |
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Term
| Precontemplation, Prochaska's change model |
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Definition
| The person perceives no threat and does not plan to change. |
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Term
| Contemplation, Prochaska's change model |
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Definition
| The person is aware of a problem behavior and is seriously thinking about changing it. |
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Term
| Preparation, Prochaska's change model |
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Definition
| The person has a strong intention to change and has made specific plans to do so. |
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Term
| Action, Prochaska's change model |
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Definition
| The person is successfully making a behavior change. |
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Term
| Maintenance, Prochaska's change model |
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Definition
| The healthy behavior has continued for at least six months and the person is using newly learned skills to prevent relapse. |
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