Stress: managing stress

Psychology A2 · Health Psychology. The idea in plain words, the rules to remember, the mistake to avoid and a worked example, written and checked by Mega Lecture.

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The idea

These methods teach a person to control stress without drugs. In biofeedback a machine records a body response, such as muscle tension, and shows it as a sound or a light. The person tries different ways of relaxing and learns which ones change the signal. Budzynski et al. (1969) used feedback from the forehead muscle to reduce tension headaches.

In imagery the person pictures a calm scene, usually with relaxation. Bridge et al. (1988) tested this with women having radiotherapy for early breast cancer.

Stress inoculation training (Meichenbaum) prepares people before stress arrives, in three phases: conceptualisation, skills acquisition and rehearsal, then application and follow-through.

Rules to remember

Biofeedback: monitor a response → give immediate feedback → learn to control it → use the skill without the machine.
Budzynski et al. (1969): muscle tension (EMG) feedback; the tone fell as the forehead muscle relaxed, and headaches became less frequent.
Bridge et al. (1988): three groups: control (talking only), relaxation, and relaxation plus imagery, during six weeks of radiotherapy.
Bridge et al. result: mood was best with relaxation plus imagery, then relaxation, and worst in the controls; women aged 55 and over gained most.
Phase 1, conceptualisation: learn about stress and identify your own stressors and reactions.
Phase 2, skills acquisition and rehearsal: learn and practise coping skills such as relaxation and positive self-statements.
Phase 3, application and follow-through: use the skills in real situations of increasing difficulty, with follow-up.

Common mistake

In Bridge et al. the treatment improved mood. It was not shown to change the cancer. Do not write that relaxation and imagery treated the disease.

Worked example

A new police officer meets a therapist. They talk about which parts of the job frighten her and how her body and thoughts react. Which phase of stress inoculation training is this?

She is not yet learning or practising any coping skill, so it is not phase 2.
She is not using skills in real situations, so it is not phase 3.
She is building an understanding of her stressors and her own reactions, which is the education phase.

Answer: Conceptualisation, the first phase.

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