Chapter 6
The Effects of Stress on
the Body and Mind
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McGraw-Hill/Irwin
Copyright © 2012 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Overview
This chapter
Explains the role of two types of
psychosomatic illnesses on disease
Examines the relationship of acute
stress responses to the development
of physical and mental illnesses
Explores the impact of chronic stress
on the development of physical and
mental illnesses
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Outline
From stress to disease: The medical
model and psychosomatic models
The effects of acute, high-level stress
on physical and psychological disease
The effects of chronic, low-level
stress on physical and psychological
disease, including suicide
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From Stress to Disease:
The Medical Model
Separates mind and body
Used to explain disease and
treatment
Koch’s Postulates: Every disease
has a single etiologic agent, a
microorganism
No recognition of interaction of
mind and body
GAS model clearly includes
interaction of mind and body
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Psychosomatic Disease
Models
Term coined by Philip Deutsch to
illustrate the interaction between the
mind and body in the disease
process
All illnesses involve mental
processes
Common misunderstanding: belief
that psychosomatic diseases are all
in one’s head
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Psychosomatic Models
 Selye’s _______model was a clear break from a
medical model approach to disease development
 Everly & Lating identified six major
psychophysiologic disease models that expand
on Seyle’s research
Lachman’s Model
Sternbach’s Model
Kraus & Raab’s Hypokinetic Disease Model
Schwartz’ Dysregulation Model
Alexander’s Conflict Theory Model
Everly & Benson’s Disorders of Arousal
Model
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Everly & Benson’s Disorders
of Arousal Model
(Fig. 6-1 in Text)
 Potential stressors trigger limbic system
arousal (can become Limbic
Hypersensitivity Phenomenon, or LHP)
 Limbic arousal triggers neurological,
neuronendocrine, and endocrine stress
axes
 Overstimulation of those axes triggers
stress arousal (can become arousal
disorder)
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Two Categories of
Psychosomatic Disease
__________ disease
No disease-causing pathogen
Occurs when chronic stress
response alters structure and
function of body
Examples: colitis,
atherosclerosis
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Two Forms of Psychosomatic
Disease (continued)
__________ disease
A causative organism exists
The long-term effects of the
stress response weaken the
body’s defenses
Example:
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Acute Stress
Alarm-phase stress
State of complete mental and
physical readiness
Prepared to ____________
Result is _______
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Acute Stress Effects on
Physical Illness
The body suffers no harm when
the lifestyle is balanced
Proper ______ and _______
Adequate ______
The greater the __________ of
high level stress, the greater the
need for _____
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Acute Stress Effects on
Psychological Illness
Anxiety disorders
Panic attacks
Acute stress disorder
Post-traumatic stress disorder
(PTSD)
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Chronic Stress
Long-term resistance-phase
stress response
General wear and tear on body
Body parts and systems forced
to work for long periods
without adequate rest
Result is malfunction and
breakdown
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Effects of Chronic, LowLevel Stress on Physical
Illness
The effects are most clear in
psychogenic diseases
Five body systems are most
susceptible
Endocrine
Muscular
Cardiovascular
Immune
Digestive
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Chronic Stress and the
Endocrine System
The endocrine system
perpetuates low-level stress
response
Responsible for a wide range of
other functions
Chronic stress can interfere
with and shut down the
endocrine system
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Chronic Stress and the
Endocrine System
(continued)
The role of three hormones
Epinephrine
Norepinephrine
Cortisol
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Chronic Stress and the
Endocrine System
(continued)
Epinephrine production causes
blood vessels to constrict
Forces heart to pump under greater
pressure
Chronic increase in blood pressure
results in hypertension
Hypertension is primary risk factor
for _____ and ___________
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Chronic Stress and the
Endocrine System
(continued)
Norepinephrine production
disturbs platelets and red blood
cells
Causes damage to endothelium
Precursor to atherosclerosis
Converts testosterone into
estradiol
Estradiol not completely
understood
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Often elevated in men who have
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heart attacks
Chronic Stress and the
Endocrine System
(continued)
________ production inhibits
breakdown of epinephrine
and norepinephrine
Interferes with the body’s
ability to ______
Increases blood ________
and _____levels
These are recognized risk
factors for _____ disease
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Chronic Stress and the
Endocrine System
(continued)
Sexual disorders
Men under chronic stress
Show reduced levels of
____________
Demonstrate reduced
_______desire
Return to normal when stress is
removed
Women under chronic stress
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Exhibit increased __________
syndrome symptoms
Research about causes and
treatment lack consistency
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Chronic Stress and the
Muscular System
Stress affects all three types of
muscle tissue
_________ muscles
______ (internal organ) muscles
________ (heart) muscle
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Chronic Stress and the
Muscular System
(continued)
Stress causes a chronic state of
muscle contraction called bracing
Skeletal muscles bracing results
Headache
Backache and muscle pain
Temporomandibular-joint (TMJ)
syndrome
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Chronic Stress and the
Muscular System
(continued)
Smooth muscles bracing results
A chronic state of internal tension
Stomach ache and diarrhea
Hypertension
Cardiac muscle bracing results
________-like symptoms (chest
pains)
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Chronic Stress and the
Cardiovascular System
(continued)
The cardiovascular system is a
closed system with three
components
Main purpose is to provide food
and oxygen to cells and to remove
waste
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Chronic Stress and the
Cardiovascular System
Stress
(continued)
Accelerates the ______ rate
Makes the heart pump faster and
under greater pressure than
necessary
Increases _______ and _____ in
blood
Causes ___________ in blood
vessels
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Chronic Stress and the
Immune System
 The immune system performs five
primary functions
Identifies foreign substances such as
germs
Attacks these invaders
Prevents reinfection from these
invaders
Destroys mutant cells
Resists recurrent chronic infections
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Chronic Stress and the
Immune System (continued)
Chronic stress can alter the
immune system
Depletes nutritional factors
associated with immunity
Causes an imbalance in the
system
Weakens T cells
Exerts a general
immunosuppressive effect
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Chronic Stress and the
Digestive System
Stress upsets the digestive
process
Smooth muscle tension
Excessive stomach acids
Spasms of esophagus and
colon
Ulcers
Incomplete digestion
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Effects of Chronic Stress
on Psychological Illness
Stress is related to many
psychological factors
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Stress and Suicide
 Suicide: a permanent solution to a
temporary problem
 People who take their own lives don’t see
options
 Suicide rates for adolescents and collegeage people are rising
 Three stress-related suicide risk factors
Depression
Major loss
Stressful life events
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Chapter 6: The Effects of
Stress on the Body and Mind
Summary
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