Lecture 11

Stress management and mental health

Fitness and Your Health by Nieman. Kendall/Hunt.

What is mental health? Mental health is a state of successful mental performance that leads to productive life activities, fulfilling relationships with others, and the ability to adapt to change and cope with adversity.
Mental disorders are health conditions that are characterized by alterations in thinking, mood, or behavior, and lead to distress, impaired function, and disability.
During any one- year period, 65 million
American adults—about 1 in 4—suffer some form of mental disorder.

Fitness and Your Health by Nieman. Kendall/Hunt.

More facts on mental health
Anxiety is a condition characterized by apprehension, tension, or uneasiness, and stems from the anticipation of real or imagined danger. If the anxiety becomes excessive, it can interfere with normal functioning.
Depression is a pernicious illness linked with episodes of long duration, relapse, and social and physical impairment. Most people with major depression are misdiagnosed, receive inappropriate or inadequate treatment, or are given no treatment at all.
Depression is most common among females, the elderly, young adults, and people with less than a college education.
It affects the way a person eats and sleeps, the way one feels about oneself, and the way on thinks about things.
Depression may range in severity from mild symptoms to more severe forms.

Fitness and Your Health by Nieman. Kendall/Hunt.

What is stress?
Stress: the collective physiological and emotional responses to any stimulus that disturbs an individual’s homeostasis

Stressor: any physical or psychological event or condition that produces stress

There are two types of stress:
1)
Eustress is good stress and appears to motivate and inspire (e.g., falling in love, achieving a significant goal, hearing good news, vigorous exercise, etc.).
2) Distress is considered bad stress, and can be acute (quite intense, but then disappears quickly) or chronic (not so intense, but lingers for prolonged
Fitness and Your Health by Nieman. Kendall/Hunt. periods of time).

The fight-or-flight response
The physiological response is similar during both good and bad stress situations.
During mental or physical stress: the muscles tense and tighten breathing becomes deep and fast the heart rate rises and blood vessels constrict in certain areas
(visceral organs) and dilate in others (muscles, skin) blood pressure rises the stomach and intestines temporarily halt digestion perspiration increases the thyroid gland is stimulated secretion of saliva slows blood sugar and fats rise sensory perception becomes sharper.
These responses are regulated by the nervous system and various hormones, redirecting energy, oxygen, and fuel to allow the body to cope with the physical or emotional stress.
Fitness and Your Health by Nieman. Kendall/Hunt.

Common sources of distress
Major life changes
Daily hassles
Job-related stressors
Environmental stressors
College stressors
Academic stressors
Interpersonal and social stressors
Time-related pressures
Financial concerns
Fitness and Your Health by Nieman. Kendall/Hunt.

Distress and wellness
Allostatic load = long-term wear and tear of the stress response, especially longterm exposure to stress hormones like cortisol High allostatic load increases vulnerability to disease What influences allostatic load?
Frequency of stressors
Interpretation of stressors
Typical response to a stressor
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Effects of distress
Exposure to chronic “distressors” can result in: an increased risk of heart disease and cancer. higher rates of respiratory infections including the common cold. suppressed immune function. more asthma attacks. increased risk of back pain. more chronic fatigue. gastrointestinal distress. more headaches and insomnia.

Fitness and Your Health by Nieman. Kendall/Hunt.

Stressor interpretation
 A big part of the stress response is the