psyc6748 all week discussions latest 2017

Week 1 discussion

DQ1

Discussion 1: Your Stress-Defining Moment

Life stressors as common as work pressure or as obscure as being zapped with electricity while running in a maze, all activate the stress response. With such varying sources from which stressors emerge, stress is a holistic phenomenon with emotional, biological, cognitive, and coping aspects.

Research into the stress response touches a variety of scientific disciplines. Theorists from the fields of physiology, endocrinology, psychiatry, psychology, and sociology have made major contributions to understanding the biological response evoked by stress. Their theories that describe stress all tie together, building on each other’s constructs to better explain stressors, stress, and the stress response. The first paradigm by physiologist Walter Cannon and endocrinologist Hans Selye considered stress a stimulus. Stress happened to the individual. However, stressors can be internally generated with worry or fear. Revealing the impact of stress as detrimental to physical well-being, the Life Stressor Assessment developed by psychiatrists Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe identifies stressful life events that may predict stress reactions. Also, recent work by sociologist Aaron Antonovsky and psychologist Richard Lazarus describes stress more as a process. In viewing the “Stress Response” handout, notice that there are continuous interactions between the person and the environment, influencing the impact of the stressor through cognitive, emotional, and behavioral pathways. Traditionally, stress has been viewed as an adaptive function with a set of physiological responses to a stressor. Present thinking supports a more holistic understanding. As a result, perspectives have changed to include cognitive, environmental, and social elements in a more holistic understanding of the stress response.

For this Discussion, review this week’s Learning Resources, including the “Defining the Stress Response Across Multiple Scientific Disciplines” handout. Then take the Holmes and Rahe stress assessment. Finally, consider any insights you had or conclusions you drew after completing the Holmes and Rahe self-evaluation.

With these thoughts in mind:

Post by Day 3 your definition of stress. Then explain why your perceptions of stressors might be relevant to Richard Lazarus’s appraisal model. Finally, explain any insights you had or conclusions you drew after completing the Holmes and Rahe self-evaluation. Be specific.

Be sure to support your postings and responses with specific references to the Learning Resources.

Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings.

Respond by Day 5 to at least one of your colleagues’ postings in one or more of the following ways:

• Ask a probing question.

• Share an insight from having read your colleague’s posting.

• Offer and support an opinion.

• Validate an idea with your own experience.

• Make a suggestion.

• Expand on your colleague’s posting.

Return to this Discussion in a few days to read the responses to your initial posting. Note what you have learned and/or any insights you have gained as a result of the comments your colleagues made.

Click on the Reply button below to reveal the textbox for entering your message. Then click on the Submit button to post your message.

DQ2

Discussion 2: To Flee or Not to Flee and Other Stress Response Techniques

Stressors are a normal part of life. From an evolutionary perspective, adaptation to changes in the environment is required for survival. In a situation where there is a perception of stress, organisms—whether they are people, dogs, rodents or flies—are physiologically prepared to attack or flee from a threat. Those with effective fight or flight responses tend to survive long enough to reproduce, so every organism is descended from those who are genetically hardwired for self protection. When you experience stress, your biology, emotions, social support, motivation, environment, attitude, immune function, and state of wellness all feel the ripple effect.

Imagine the fatal outcomes that might occur if the mind and body did not adapt to life’s stressors. For your cave-dwelling ancestors the result would be a very short life with little chance of passing on their genes to future generations.

Recall the encounter with the saber-toothed tiger discussed in the introduction to this course. Once the brain determines a threat exists per the cognitive appraisal process, the fight or flight response begins. In stress mode, your body goes under a variety of changes including but not limited to:

Accelerated heart rate

The release of cortisol and other stress hormones

Increased blood pressure

Increased release of adrenaline

When the fight or flight response is initiated numerous times a day, it results in a depletion of energy, resources, and maintenance abilities. While life preserving, the biological and physical stress responses are meant to be short-term. In addition, long-term stress may have an impact on your immune system. This is another one of the many different ways health can deteriorate. There are multiple techniques and behavioral interventions that might be used as part of an overall stress management strategy to reduce stress.

For this Discussion, review this week’s Learning Resources, including “The Body’s Micro-Response to Stress” handout. Consider the stress response to ongoing everyday stressors as presented in the Learning Resources. Imagine what might be necessary to reduce the response for these non-life threatening, long-term experiences.

With these thoughts in mind:

D2-A: Students with last names beginning with letters A–M , post by Day 4 a brief description of the “fight or flight” response to stress. Then explain one way a person’s perception of stress might result in a fight or flight response. Finally, provide a specific example of a high stress situation and describe a stress reduction technique you might recommend to someone in this situation and explain why this technique might be effective. Be specific.

D2-B: Students with last names beginning with letters N–Z, post by Day 4 a brief explanation of the impact of stress on the immune system. Then describe the element of the immune system you selected and explain the repercussions of stress on that element. Finally, suggest one stress-reducing behavioral intervention for that specific element of the immune system and explain why this behavioral intervention might be effective. Be specific.

Be sure to support your postings and responses with specific references to the Learning Resources.

Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings.

Respond by Day 6 in one of the following ways to at least one of your colleagues whose posting is in response to the portion of the Discussion to which you were not assigned:

• Ask a probing question.

• Share an insight from having read your colleague’s posting.

• Offer and support an opinion.

• Validate an idea with your own experience.

• Make a suggestion.

• Expand on your colleague’s posting.

Return to this Discussion in a few days to read the responses to your initial posting. Note what you have learned and/or any insights you have gained as a result of the comments your colleagues made.

Click on the Reply button below to reveal the textbox for entering your message. Then click on the Submit button to post your message.

Week 2 discussion

DQ1

Discussion 1: Types of Stress and Coping

Not all stress is bad stress. In fact, a little bit of short-term stress keeps you motivated. Acute stressors such as public speaking, taking an exam, or parachuting from a perfectly good airplane usually cause an immediate and intense stress response. Occasional acute stress actually has a positive effect on immune function. A single episode of acute stress doesn’t usually cause a problem for the healthy adult.

Consider the chronic stress of being a family caregiver to an Alzheimer’s patient. Betty has been caring for Fred since he was diagnosed. She is not sleeping well because more than once she has awakened during the night to find that Fred has turned on the stove. Also, finances are tight because of the cost of care and resources Fred needs. Fred is increasingly more angry and confused. This chronic, relentless stress has cumulative effects on Betty’s immune function. Her ability to cope is stretched, and her own health issues, seemingly minor compared to Fred’s, are ignored. There are few opportunities for Betty to rest and return to a calm baseline. As a result, she becomes ill.

Distant stress, another type of stress that stems from previous trauma, can be unrelenting and influence immune function for years. For example, the long years of posttraumatic stress disorder’s (PTSD) wearing effects on the immune system does cumulative damage to health.

For this Discussion, review this week’s Learning Resources. Review the concepts of acute, chronic, and distant stress. Also, re-examine the “Pathways of Stress” graphic from Week 1. Then consider the characteristic and physiological differences of these three types of stress, how each impacts the immune system, and the populations most at risk or least susceptible to these types of stress and why. Finally, reflect on how stress management approaches might be different for specific examples of acute, chronic, and distant stress.

With these thoughts in mind:

D1-A: Students with a last name beginning with letters A– M, post by Day 3 a brief description of differences between acute, chronic, and distant stress. Then explain the differing effects these types of stress have on the immune system. Finally, provide an example of one population at particular risk for acute stress, one population at particular risk for chronic stress, and one population at particular risk for distant stress and explain why. Be specific.

D1-B: Students with a last name beginning with the letter N–Z, post by Day 3 a brief description of acute, chronic, and distant stress and provide an example of each. Then using an understanding of the stress pathways, explain two physiological differences among these three types of stress. Finally, explain how stress management strategies might be different for these types of stress. Be specific.

Be sure to support your postings and responses with specific references to the Learning Resources.

Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings.

Respond by Day 5 in one of the following ways to at least one of your colleagues whose posting is in response to the portion of the Discussion to which you were not assigned:

• Ask a probing question.

• Share an insight from having read your colleague’s posting.

• Offer and support an opinion.

• Validate an idea with your own experience.

• Make a suggestion.

• Expand on your colleague’s posting.

Return to this Discussion in a few days to read the responses to your initial posting. Note what you have learned and/or any insights you have gained as a result of the comments your colleagues made.

Click on the Reply button below to reveal the textbox for entering your message. Then click on the Submit button to post your message.

DQ2

Discussion 2: How Do You Cope?

While on vacation at the beach, you might see the swelling waves as an excellent opportunity to test out your new surfing skills. However, your traveling mate might take those same aggressive waves as a cue to head for shore. Not everyone interprets a given stressor in the same way; nor will their responses always mirror each other when encountering the same stressor. There is plenty to learn about stress and coping from analyzing the way individuals manage stress. In fact, there are a number of assessments psychologists use to determine individuals’ coping styles, how they cope, and the frequency of their coping behaviors.

While theorists place a great deal of emphasis on the types of coping, coping traits should not be viewed as exclusively adaptive or maladaptive. Not all coping traits fit into problem-solving or emotion-focused coping as Lazarus and Folkman discuss. Generally, positive/functional coping mechanisms (e.g., planning) are linked to good self-esteem, higher functioning, and lower perceived stress. While less positive strategies (e.g., denial, self-blame) are associated with more distress and lower esteem.

How you manage stress in your life can modify the stress response and subsequent health consequences. Recall the Primary Appraisal and Coping chart from last week. Imagine your disruptive and argumentative mother-in-law has announced that she is coming for a two-week visit. Once you appraise the stress potential of this situation, how would you respond to the scenario:

You could solve the problem by calling her and asking her not to come.

You can change how you feel about her coming by deciding to focus on the positive aspects of her visit.

You could manage this stress by changing the physical response to it with the use of relaxation techniques.

You plan a business trip for the same two-week time frame your mother-in-law plans to visit.

These approaches to managing a stressor are termed problem-focused, emotion-focused, biology-focused, and avoidance approaches. While the mother-in-law example tends to fit the concept of stress globally, it in no way implies that a visit from your mother-in-law would be stressful.

For the Discussion, review this week’s Learning Resources including “The Focus of Coping” handout and “The Assessment of Coping”handout. Take the COPE assessment. After completing the COPE assessment, consider the different ways in which you cope with stress.

With these thoughts in mind:

Post by Day 4 a description of two coping mechanisms you have used (problem-focused, emotion-focused, or biology-focused) to reduce stress. Then explain whether these coping mechanisms were effective in reducing the level of stress you experienced. Why or why not? Finally, propose two other coping mechanisms you might employ that also may be effective in reducing stress levels and explain why. Be specific.

Be sure to support your postings and responses with specific references to the Learning Resources.

Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings.

Respond by Day 6 to at least one of your colleagues’ postings with another suggestion for a coping mechanism he or she might find useful and be specific using the Learning Resources to support your response. Then response to another one of your colleagues’ postings in one or more of the following ways:

• Ask a probing question.

• Share an insight from having read your colleague’s posting.

• Offer and support an opinion.

• Validate an idea with your own experience.

• Make a suggestion.

• Expand on your colleague’s posting.

Return to this Discussion in a few days to read the responses to your initial posting. Note what you have learned and/or any insights you have gained as a result of the comments your colleagues made.

Click on the Reply button below to reveal the textbox for entering your message. Then click on the Submit button to post your message.

Week 3 discussion

Stress, Illness, and Specific Populations

Do any of the following phrases sound familiar: “It’s nothing to worry yourself sick over,” “I was sick with worry,” or “Don’t stress yourself out”?

These are not just warnings or expressions about too much negative mental activity. What does it mean to worry to the point of sickness? What does it look like to stress yourself out? For you, it could be a bout with insomnia. For someone else, too much worry could result in an upset stomach. Yet for another, excessive stress for a long period of time could contribute to high blood pressure and heart disease.

The type of illness that results from too much stress depends on a variety of factors. Your age, gender, ethnic heritage, culture, and even geographical location all influence your response to developing stress-related illnesses. Some populations are more vulnerable to the effects of stress, just as some populations are more susceptible to certain diseases. Population-based health care focuses on assessing health needs, planning culturally sensitive prevention and intervention programs, and improving public health.

In this context, populations are groups of people defined by a common condition that perhaps need focused health education, prevention programs, or treatment. The following are some examples of populations:

Pregnant women

Military personnel returning from war

Those with low socioeconomic status

Those experiencing discrimination

Refugees

Those with asthma

The elderly

Those experiencing significant loss

Illegal immigrants

Those with cardiovascular disease

Adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse

Victims of crime

Those with serious mental illness

Whether it is poverty, grief, or discrimination, the variety of stressors that members of these populations might encounter does not vanish overnight. As a result, the persistence of stress can contribute to long-lasting illness or chronic disease, such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, obesity, and arthritis. Seventy percent of all deaths in the United States are due to chronic disease. Fifty percent of Americans have at least one chronic disease. Chronic diseases are the most common and expensive diseases facing the world and since most chronic diseases have modifiable risk factors, most are preventable. The most common modifiable risks are poor diet, lack of exercise, and tobacco, alcohol, or drug use.

For this Discussion, review this week’s Learning Resources including the Stress and Immune-Related Disease” section of the “ Stress, the Immune System, Chronic Illness, and Your Body” handout. Select an illness to use for this Discussion. Think about a population that is more susceptible to this illness and a population that is less susceptible to this illness.

With these thoughts in mind:

Post by Day 4 a brief description of the illness you selected. Then describe one population that is more susceptible and one population that is less susceptible to this illness and explain why. Include how stress and coping might differ between these populations. Be specific.

Be sure to support your postings and responses with specific references to the Learning Resources.

Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings.

Respond by Day 6 to at least one of your colleagues’ postings in one or more of the following ways:

• Ask a probing question.

• Share an insight from having read your colleague’s posting.

• Offer and support an opinion.

• Validate an idea with your own experience.

• Make a suggestion.

• Expand on your colleague’s posting.

Return to this Discussion in a few days to read the responses to your initial posting. Note what you have learned and/or any insights you have gained as a result of the comments your colleagues made.

Click on the Reply button below to reveal the textbox for entering your message. Then click on the Submit button to post your message.

Week 4 discussion

Stress and Depression

When doctors diagnose a patient’s mysterious pains, sudden sleep difficulties, changes in eating habits, inexplicable migraines or excessive fatigue as psychosomatic, it is easy to apply the layman’s translation of “It’s all in your head.” However, when it comes to these responses to stress, what may be “all in your head” might have a direct impact on what is going on in your body.

With such symptoms as those just described, it is clear that stress, immune function, and depression are linked. For example, those suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder report high levels of depression. Additionally, while you will not find a doctor ordering extensive lab tests to diagnose depression, high levels of cortisol and other stress hormones are found in the blood of the depressed. Also, survivors of early life stress, such as childhood abuse, experience changes in the neurobiology of the brain, making them more vulnerable to depression later in life. Even acute life stressors are known to provoke depression, especially in an environment of poor social support and frequent life crisis. Finally, chronic stress results in lowered immune function and increased incidence of depression. Not only do the relationships between the brain, stress, immune function, and depression exist, but they are bidirectional and complex.

For this Discussion, review this week’s Learning Resources as well as the “Stress, Depression, and the Immune Response” section of the “Stress, the Immune System, Chronic Illness, and Your Body” handout. Then reflect on the different ways stress, the stress response, and depression are connected. Finally, consider what part depression plays in the immune and inflammatory response systems.

With these thoughts in mind:

Post by Day 4 an explanation of the relationships between stress and depression. Then describe two factors of stress response that influence the development of depression and explain how. Finally, explain the influence of depression on the immune and inflammatory response systems. Be specific.

Be sure to support your postings and responses with specific references to the Learning Resources.

Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings.

Respond by Day 6 to at least one of your colleagues’ postings in one or more of the following ways:

• Ask a probing question.

• Share an insight from having read your colleague’s posting.

• Offer and support an opinion.

• Validate an idea with your own experience.

• Make a suggestion.

• Expand on your colleague’s posting.

Return to this Discussion in a few days to read the responses to your initial posting. Note what you have learned and/or any insights you have gained as a result of the comments your colleagues made.

Click on the Reply button below to reveal the textbox for entering your message. Then click on the Submit button to post your message.

Week 5 discussion

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Intervention

Imagine the survivors of a home invasion. Feelings of terror and helplessness that shake the very foundation of personal security are the result when strangers enter the home with the intent and will to do harm. Some survivors may resolve these immediate feelings of helplessness by acquiring a handgun, pepper spray, or watchdogs, or by taking self-defense courses. During, or for a short time immediately following the invasion, some people may experience the onset of acute stress disorder (ASD) exhibited in racing hearts, bouts of insomnia, and feelings of panic at the sound of footsteps approaching the front door. Others may be so traumatized that they never look at their home in the same way or feel as safe no matter how many locks are on the doors or how state-of-the-art their alarm system may be. When the latter individuals experience a delayed onset of physiological response to trauma that is persistent over the long term, their condition is described as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This tragic scenario is just one example of a traumatic event that could lead to severe but short-lived stress or a prolonged stress response that disrupts the lives of the survivors long after the event is over.

For this Discussion, review this week’s Learning Resources including the “Acute Stress Disorder and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder” handout. Reflect on the similarities and differences between ASD and PTSD. Then consider that you have been asked to prepare a pre-deployment PTSD prevention workshop for military health service workers. Consider intervention techniques you might recommend to prevent the development of PTSD in this population.

With these thoughts in mind:

Post by Day 4 a brief comparison of similarities and differences between acute stress disorder (ASD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Then explain two potential PTSD symptoms that could develop for a military health service worker. Finally, describe two intervention techniques you might recommend to prevent PTSD and explain why each might be effective. Be specific.

Be sure to support your postings and responses with specific references to the Learning Resources.

Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings.

Respond by Day 6 to at least one of your colleagues’ postings in one or more of the following ways:

• Ask a probing question.

• Share an insight from having read your colleague’s posting.

• Offer and support an opinion.

• Validate an idea with your own experience.

• Make a suggestion.

• Expand on your colleague’s posting.

Return to this Discussion in a few days to read the responses to your initial posting. Note what you have learned and/or any insights you have gained as a result of the comments your colleagues made.

Click on the Reply button below to reveal the textbox for entering your message. Then click on the Submit button to post your message.

Week 6 discussion

Theories of Social Context

Think back to the first time you rode your bike without your parent’s steady hand to guide you along the path. Even if you never learned to ride a bike, you likely can imagine how it might feel to look behind you and discover the absence of that steady hand to keep you upright. At first you might wobble due to a sudden surge of uncertainty and fear in your chest. But as your confidence builds, your ride smoothes out, and a smile invades your face as you realize that you are riding your bike all by yourself.

Now imagine if you focused on that initial fear of riding the bike without help and as a result you fell and scraped your leg. Focusing on the fear rather than focusing on the fact that you were in the midst of successfully riding your bike might have caused you to fall. Being paralyzed by or focusing exclusively on the fear are examples of an ineffective response to stress that results in no reduction of the anxiety and no resolution to the situation.

With a scraped leg, your parent is now at your side comforting you and reminding you that your leg will heal and next time the outcome will be better. Social support like this is known to be an effective buffer against the impact of stress and enhances recovery from disease.

Humans develop and learn within a social context. Culture and social interactions are part of the environmental framework with which the organism continually interacts. Therefore, you might reactively know how to escape a dangerous encounter; however, coping with less harmful situations often is learned and influenced by those in your environment. There is strong evidence that context affects coping strategies. Consider how social context is fundamental to understanding stress and coping.

For this Discussion, review this week’s Learning Resources including the “Coping in a Social Context” handout. Consider how social context affects the development and effectiveness of coping mechanisms to manage stress. Think about whether social context has an impact on coping mechanisms for the population you selected in Week 3.

With these thoughts in mind:

Post by Day 4 an explanation of the influence that social context might have in the development of coping mechanisms to manage stress. Then explain one theoretical framework of coping in a social context. Finally, explain whether social context influences the coping mechanisms of the population you selected in Week 3. Be specific.

Be sure to support your postings with the theory you selected and support your responses with specific references to the Learning Resources.

Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings.

Respond by Day 6 to at least one of your colleagues’ postings in one or more of the following ways:

• Ask a probing question.

• Share an insight from having read your colleague’s posting.

• Offer and support an opinion.

• Validate an idea with your own experience.

• Make a suggestion.

• Expand on your colleague’s posting.

Return to this Discussion in a few days to read the responses to your initial posting. Note what you have learned and/or any insights you have gained as a result of the comments your colleagues made.

Click on the Reply button below to reveal the textbox for entering your message. Then click on the Submit button to post your message.

Week 7 discussion

The Effectiveness of Stress Management Skills

What helps you relieve stress and how effective is your method? There are a variety of reasons individuals select the stress management techniques they use. However, an effective stress management technique allows you lessen the physiological impact of the stress you are experiencing. In addition, it helps you to assess your situation, recognize your emotional response, and support your thought processes regarding a stressor. There are many stress management techniques and selecting ones that might be most effective depends on the individual, the stressor, and the stress response. If you enjoy the calm that comes from communing with nature, you might recognize its effectiveness in how the peaceful nature of the outdoors makes you feel less frantic. One stress management technique cannot serve everyone and all the stressors they face. Therefore, evaluating a variety of stress management techniques is important to reducing stress and its influence on the development of illness. Barriers to effective stress management include lack of adherence to the use of stress management techniques, inadequate or inappropriate support of family and friends, and an unwillingness to forgo unhealthy stress management practices.

For this Discussion, review this week’s Learning Resources. Select a stress management technique from your Week 5 Final Project assignment. Then consider how you might measure the effectiveness of the stress management technique. Reflect on the benefit stress sufferers might derive from using multiple stress management techniques. Finally, consider two barriers to effective stress management.

With these thoughts in mind:

Post by Day 4 a brief description of the stress management technique you selected. Then explain a measure to evaluate the effectiveness of the stress management technique. Next, explain benefits of providing multiple stress management techniques to stress sufferers. Finally, explain two barriers to effective stress management. Be specific.

Be sure to support your postings and responses with specific references to the Learning Resources.

Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings.

Respond by Day 6 to at least one of your colleagues’ postings in one or more of the following ways:

• Ask a probing question.

• Share an insight from having read your colleague’s posting.

• Offer and support an opinion.

• Validate an idea with your own experience.

• Make a suggestion.

• Expand on your colleague’s posting.

Return to this Discussion in a few days to read the responses to your initial posting. Note what you have learned and/or any insights you have gained as a result of the comments your colleagues made.

Click on the Reply button below to reveal the textbox for entering your message. Then click on the Submit button to post your message.

Week 8 discussion

Hope

How would you define hope? What does hope look like? Hope is difficult to describe and it is even harder to measure. Yet it is the foundation of your goals and in action it is exhibited in your desires. Hope has emotional elements in its sense of positive expectation even when the situation is uncertain, perhaps even dire. What gives those diagnosed with a terminal illness the strength to endure debilitating treatments such as chemotherapy or kidney dialysis? Maybe you know individuals who cope with diseases that have a grave impact on their quality of life. Yet they continue to pursue life to the fullest, often pushing the boundaries of their illness. Hope for an improved outcome offers to many the strength to face the most challenging of health crises. From the moment you wake up, the desire for a positive outcome exists in every action you take. That desire for a positive outcome and the belief in the possibility that a positive result will happen are characteristics of hope. Hope is why you might take on challenges and hope is why you might look forward to a better future. However, hope is often taken for granted until it is lost. How do you regain hope, and what is its impact on your health?

For this Discussion, review this week’s Learning Resources, including the handout titled “Hope: The History, Its Application, and How to Regain It.” Complete the Herth Hope Index. As you complete the index, reflect on what the potential answers to the assessment items might reveal about an individual’s ability to hope when experiencing challenging situations. Then research two articles on the effects of hope on a specific health issue of your choice. Also consider how a patient suffering from the health issue you chose might be able to generate or sustain hope in coping with the health issue. Finally, reflect on the impact hope might have on stress response and the immune response system.

With these thoughts in mind:

Post by Day 4 a brief explanation of the effect hope might have on a health issue of your choice. Then explain how you might help a patient generate or sustain hope in dealing with the health issue. Finally, explain how hope might relate to the stress response and the immune response system. Be specific.

Be sure to support your postings and responses with specific references to the Learning Resources.

Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings.

Respond by Day 6 to at least one of your colleagues’ postings in one or more of the following ways:

• Ask a probing question.

• Share an insight from having read your colleague’s posting.

• Offer and support an opinion.

• Validate an idea with your own experience.

• Make a suggestion.

• Expand on your colleague’s posting.

Return to this Discussion in a few days to read the responses to your initial posting. Note what you have learned and/or any insights you have gained as a result of the comments your colleagues made.

Click on the Reply button below to reveal the textbox for entering your message. Then click on the Submit button to post your message.

Week 9 discussion

Humor and Sleep Hygiene’s Potential Benefits for Stress and Immunity

A clown is like an aspirin, only he works twice as fast.

- Groucho Marx

Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop.

- Ovid

Have you ever noticed that no matter how difficult the situation, if you can find humor in it, it becomes more manageable? Even in moments of loss, people remember their loved ones by reminiscing about the funny things they did or said. Many circumstances are judged by how they make you feel. Even in the face of serious illness, an active sense of humor can lessen its effects and improve the likelihood of a more positive outcome. These examples suggest that humor appears to buffer against the effects of stress. The effects of a good sense of humor benefit the body in a variety of ways.

Participating in a good laugh is not the only activity you might overlook when it comes to managing stress. A restful sleep provides a wealth of benefits to the mind as well as the body. Think back to the last time you had to get up early and despite having too little sleep, you had to keep going. Consider how the lack of sleep affected your mood, appetite, energy level, performance, and your interactions with others. People often trivialize their need for sleep, despite the numerous benefits it provides to mood, concentration, and coping with stress. The focus on connections between sleep, stress, and health are particularly timely because sleep patterns are changing. Between the late 1950s and the early 1990s, the average reports of adult sleep dropped from 8 to 9 hours a night to 7 to 8 hours a night. Recent studies report increasing numbers of individuals sleeping less than 6 hours a night. The annual direct cost of dealing with sleep deprivation in the United States is estimated to be $16 billion a year. Indirect costs are estimated at $50 to $100 billion and include motor vehicle and other accidents, resultant litigation, property destruction, medical costs, loss of productivity, and death.

For this Discussion, review this week’s Learning Resources including the “Humor and Sleep Hygiene: Your Natural Allies Against Stress” handout. Students with a last name beginning with A–M, research articles on the effects of humor on stress and health and then respond to Discussion A. Students with a last name beginning with N–Z, research illnesses related to stress and poor sleep habits and then respond to Discussion B.

With these thoughts in mind:

D1-A: Post by Day 4 an explanation of humor’s effect on the health condition. Then explain how humor might impact the stress response. Finally, describe how humor might effectively be used in stress management training. Be specific.

D1-B: Post by Day 4 an explanation of the relationship between sleep and stress, including any impact the relationship may have on stress hormones. Then explain how sleep deprivation and stress might contribute to the development of an illness. Finally, explain two concepts you might include in sleep hygiene education and explain why. Be specific.

Be sure to support your postings and responses with specific references to the Learning Resources.

Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings.

Respond by Day 6 in one of the following ways to at least one of your colleagues whose posting is in response to the portion of the Discussion to which you were not assigned:

• Ask a probing question.

• Share an insight from having read your colleague’s posting.

• Offer and support an opinion.

• Validate an idea with your own experience.

• Make a suggestion.

• Expand on your colleague’s posting.

Return to this Discussion in a few days to read the responses to your initial posting. Note what you have learned and/or any insights you have gained as a result of the comments your colleagues made.

Click on the Reply button below to reveal the textbox for entering your message. Then click on the Submit button to post your message.

Week 10 discussion

DQ1

Discussion 1: Western and Eastern Medical Practices

Most people would agree that no one knows your body better than you do. Before the first symptoms fully surface, you might sense a disruption in your body’s functioning. How would you respond to the onset of a headache? If you practice Western medicine, you might take a pain reliever for the headache and relax in a dark room. If you practice Eastern medicine, you might take a steamy bath to sooth your tense neck muscles and relieve congestion that might be contributing to your headache. Or you might seek a massage to relieve the stress that might be causing the headache. It fact, it is not uncommon for individuals to sample remedies from both medical practices in order to reap the results they seek. Regardless of the medical approach you prefer, there are a wide variety of stress reducing options to improve your health and fit your lifestyle.

For this Discussion, review this week’s Learning Resources including the “Varying Philosophies of Medical Care” handout. Research complementary and alternative stress management approaches in the Walden Library and on the website for the National Institutes of Health’s National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) (http://nccam.nih.gov/). Select a complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) discussed at NCCAM. Consider how the CAM you selected might effectively reduce stress. Reflect on any contraindications that might exist with regard to its use.

With these thoughts in mind:

Post by Day 3 a brief description of the complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) you selected. Then, explain how this CAM is effective in reducing stress. Finally, explain any contraindications or cautions with this type of stress management strategy. Use the current literature to support your response.

Be sure to support your postings and responses with specific references to the Learning Resources.

Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings.

Respond by Day 5 to at least one of your colleagues’ postings in one or more of the following ways:

• Ask a probing question.

• Share an insight from having read your colleague’s posting.

• Offer and support an opinion.

• Validate an idea with your own experience.

• Make a suggestion.

• Expand on your colleague’s posting.

Return to this Discussion in a few days to read the responses to your initial posting. Note what you have learned and/or any insights you have gained as a result of the comments your colleagues made.

Click on the Reply button below to reveal the textbox for entering your message. Then click on the Submit button to post your message.

DQ2

Discussion 2: Nutritional Approach to Stress Management

Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.

- Hippocrates

From the time you were old enough to use a fork, did your parents recite the nutritional purposes of various foods as you pushed them around on your plate? These dinnertime lessons were to show that food was not just for curing hunger pains. Carrots made your eyes sharper and spinach made your muscles stronger. Eat an apple every day and you could avoid a trip to the doctor. Yet, somehow as you aged, meals might have become more about what tasted good and less about what was good for you. However, food and the nutrients it can provide have more to do with fueling your body and its many systems and less to do with the preference of your taste buds. With the prevalence of pills and other medical interventions, it is easy to forget that mother nature offers a host of preventative medicines in the form of various natural foods and herbs. Consider how the management of stress can benefit from nature’s medicine.

For this Discussion, review this week’s Learning Resources including Appendices 12–15 of the 2010 USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Also review the ”Nutrition, Stress, and Your Cells” handout and the “Stress and Its Impact on Nutrient Processing and Absorption” handout. Then, research nutritional approaches to stress management and select two that might be effective. Finally, consider any contraindications or cautions that might result in applying the approaches you selected.

With these thoughts in mind:

Post by Day 4 a brief description of two nutritional approaches you selected for stress management. Then explain why these approaches might be effective. Finally, explain any contraindications or cautions to using these two approaches and explain why. Be specific.

Be sure to support your postings and responses with specific references to the Learning Resources.

Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings.

Respond by Day 6 to at least one of your colleagues’ postings in one or more of the following ways:

• Ask a probing question.

• Share an insight from having read your colleague’s posting.

• Offer and support an opinion.

• Validate an idea with your own experience.

• Make a suggestion.

• Expand on your colleague’s posting.

Return to this Discussion in a few days to read the responses to your initial posting. Note what you have learned and/or any insights you have gained as a result of the comments your colleagues made.

Click on the Reply button below to reveal the textbox for entering your message. Then click on the Submit button to post your message.

Week 11 discussion

Discussion 1: Stress, Health, and Social Support

Do you ever wonder why many people generally feel better after talking through problems with a trusted friend or family member? Aside from the benefits of having more than one mind working to solve a problem, social support has been shown to buffer the adverse effects of stress. In addition to making you feel better, social support positively influences mortality and morbidity.

Belonging to a social network increases the feeling of self worth with a sense of belonging. The increased confidence it provides allows for better creative thinking and boosts motivation. In terms of behavior, social support encourages informed choices and positive change including healthy practices such as exercise and healthy eating.

With all this good news regarding social support, you might think that hugs can make everything better. However, there may be some negative correlation between depression and social support as well as anxiety and social support. An individual’s perception of social support and how it matches a given stressor play a part in that support’s effectiveness. This might help to explain why social support does not always prevent or resolve episodes of depression and anxiety.

For this Discussion, review this week’s Learning Resources. Then research literature in the Walden Library on social support and its effect on the health condition. Consider how different populations may be at risk for reduced social support.

With these thoughts in mind:

Post by Day 3 a brief explanation of the effects of social support on the health condition. Then describe two populations that are at risk for reduced social support and explain why. Finally, explain two ways you might bridge the gap between the need for and utilization of social support for the populations you selected. Be specific.

Be sure to support your postings and responses with specific references to the Learning Resources.

Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings.

Respond by Day 5 to at least one of your colleagues’ postings in one or more of the following ways:

• Ask a probing question.

• Share an insight from having read your colleague’s posting.

• Offer and support an opinion.

• Validate an idea with your own experience.

• Make a suggestion.

• Expand on your colleague’s posting.

Return to this Discussion in a few days to read the responses to your initial posting. Note what you have learned and/or any insights you have gained as a result of the comments your colleagues made.

Click on the Reply button below to reveal the textbox for entering your message. Then click on the Submit button to post your message.

DQ2

Discussion 2: Aligning Stress Management Techniques With Populations and Emerging Trends/Research in Stress Management

Often in the face of extreme stress or an external crisis, it is not uncommon to focus on being grateful for your health in an attempt to minimize the situation’s impact. However, as previous weeks of this course indicate, health is far more than just an absence of disease or injury. Rather, health includes a continuum of wellness influenced by many life characteristics.

Managing stress is as personal as the stressor itself. The populations health psychology professionals serve are changing, making the need for a variety of stress management techniques even more crucial to maintaining health. For example, people are living longer and require more chronic disease management. Also, there is an increase in the number of ethnic minority groups, those living with disabilities, and those living in poverty. As a result of merging cultures, health issues ripple across the globe.

Public policy, education, training, research, advocacy, and program development and application are all ways in which health psychology professionals can promote positive social change. As a future health psychology professional you should begin thinking about how you can apply topics within stress and coping to promote positive social change. Based on your interests you may choose to develop an education program on sleep hygiene or become an advocate for CAMs.

For this Discussion, review this week’s Learning Resources. Search the Walden Library for a stress management technique you have not previously researched in this course. Consider possible barriers to the effectiveness of this technique. Then select a topic within the area of stress and coping and consider how you might apply this topic to positive social change.

With these thoughts in mind:

Post by Day 4 a brief description of the stress management technique you selected that was not covered in this course and explain why it might be effective. Then describe at least one possible barrier to the effectiveness of this technique and explain how you might address that barrier. Be specific. Then, post a brief description of the topic you selected and explain how you might apply the topic to promote positive social change. Be specific and provide examples.

Be sure to support your postings and responses with specific references to the Learning Resources.

Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings.

Respond by Day 6 to at least one of your colleagues’ postings in one or more of the following ways:

• Ask a probing question.

• Share an insight from having read your colleague’s posting.

• Offer and support an opinion.

• Validate an idea with your own experience.

• Make a suggestion.

• Expand on your colleague’s posting.

Return to this Discussion in a few days to read the responses to your initial posting. Note what you have learned and/or any insights you have gained as a result of the comments your colleagues made.

Click on the Reply button below to reveal the textbox for entering your message. Then click on the Submit button to post your message.